YARNS AND SEWING THREADS

- Chapter 4 Spider Silk tapestry: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113223398&ft=1&f=1001

Tonights topics
Fibers spun into yarns Wide variety of yarns Yarn types affect fabric properties Unique size systems exist for yarns Different equipment is required to weave or knit with different yarns Fabric finish choices affected by yarn type Garment designs influenced by yarn types Sewing threads similar to yarns

Spun Yarn Filament Yarn

SPUN YARNS
Staple fibers twisted together Twisting creates stronger yarns Identify by untwisting yarn fibers; spun yarn pulls apart into individual short fibers

FILAMENT YARNS
Continuous filaments as they come from spinnerette/cocoon
Little or low twist
Smooth lustrous surface

Tightly twisted filament yarns

Crepe-filament yarns

Strength of yarn depends on individual fiber strength and number of filaments

Monofilament
Composed of one filament

Multifilament
Composed of many filaments Most filament yarns are multifilament
More flexible than single filament yarns of same diameter

TAPE & NETWORK YARNS

Tape Yarns
Inexpensive Produced in sheet form; then slit into .1 strips
Common for olefins and metallics

Network Yarns
Air included in solution to make foam; air pockets pop when fiber is drawn, creating a network of interlocked fibers Industrial uses where bulk and low density are more important than high strength

Carded And Combed Yarns

(1 smoothing step) (2 or more smoothing steps)

Fabrics of combed yarn look better, feel smoother, are stronger, and are more expensive than fabrics of carded yarn Fabrics of combed yarn retain shape better and pill less Fabrics of carded yarn are bulkier, softer, and fuzzier.

Linen Yarns
Tow = short fibers = coarse texture = rough finish; homespuns Line = long fibers = smooth texture = fine finish; handkerchief linen

Wool Yarns
Woolen
Made of carded yarns Noils (snarls) Fuzzy Uneven diameter Bulky Wide range of fiber lengths Sizing called run and written like this: 2/50

Worsted
Made from combed yarns Smooth with little fuzz Even diameter Tightly twisted May shine Firm Size called worsted and written like this: 2/50

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUEDWjd9cLk

Woolen Yarn

Worsted Yarn

Spinning Methods
Ring (Conventional) Method

Opening
Loosens the bale, blends and cleans fibers, forms lap

Carding
Cleans and aligns fibers, forms carded sliver Drawing Makes parallel and blends fibers, forms drawn sliver May create fiber blends now

 Combing
Makes parallel and removes short fibers (noils), forms combed (top) sliver (used only for longstaple cotton or worsted)

Roving
Reduces size, inserts slight twist, forms roving

Spinning
Reduces size, twists, winds the finished yarn on bobbins

Winding
Rewinds yarns from bobbins to spools or cones
www.frontierspinning.com/locations/photo_tour/tour01.shtml

Other Spinning Methods

Open-end Rotor Spun Method (O-E)
eliminates some aligning steps 4x faster production than ring method coarser yarns with poorer uniformity and poorer strength commonly used for denim fabric

Air-jet Spun Method

coarser, weaker, and less elastic better cover (bulk)

Vortex Spun Method

2x faster than OE 20-30 x faster than ring spinning Not as uniform as ring spun

BLEND = two or more fibers mixed in one yarn

intimate blends combines good and bad properties of fibers spun blends most popular; filament blends available

COMBINATION = ply yarns; each ply is 1 generic type of yarn

Metallics; fasciated yarns

MIXTURE = yarns of different generic types used within a fabric (warp is 1 type, weft is another)

YARN TWIST
Turns per inch = tpi
Soft twist
Soft, fluffy yarns; napping twist; 2 - 12 tpi

Average twist
most durable staple yarns; not used with filaments

Hard twist
high or voile twist; smooth, firm and kinky yarns; 20 30 tpi

Crepe twist
highest twist; lively yarns; require special treatment; 40-80 tpi

Filament yarns - very low twist (1/2 - 1 tpi)

Effects of Twist on Yarn and Fabric

Fineness Contraction Bending behavior Absorbency Covering power Permeability Softness or hardness Tensile strength Extension and recovery Resistance to creases and abrasion Pilling behavior Luster

Left Right Twist

Up to the left Up to the right

S twist

Z twist

Why is Yarn Plied?

Introduce different fiber yarns Combine spun and filament yarns Improve strength of a singles Make thicker, smoother strand Make more stable yarn and fabric Add texture or novelty yarn but maintain strength Add color interest

Ply Yarns .
Are more expensive Require better quality fiber, more labor, special machinery Most fabrics are made of singles

Yarn Size Systems

Relationship between weight of yarns and certain length of yarn Yarn sizes
Yarn-count systems (spun yarns)
cotton, lea, run, worsted

Denier system (filament yarns)

d = denier dpf = denier per filament

Tex system (mostly for thread)

Tex and d-tex

 Yarn Count System

Larger the size number, finer the yarn
Sheer lawn = 70s to 100s Calico = 30s to 40s

Written as 50/2 (yarn count + number of plies)

Denier System
Higher the denier, larger the yarn
1 d yarn: 9000 meters of yarn weighs 1 gram 2 d yarn: 9000 meters of yarn weighs 2 grams
Sheer hosiery = 20 d Luggage = 100 d

Tex System

 Spun yarns = yarn count system Spun yarns may be plied Size is expressed as 50/2 count
(or if woolen or worsted as 2/50) (2 yarns are twisted together & each yarn size is 50/1 count)

An equivalent sized singles yarn would be size 25 count (50 divided by 2)

 Filament yarns = denier system Filament yarns are seldom plied but when they are, the size is expressed as two-ply 80 denier
a singles yarn of comparable size would be

160 d. (80 x 2)

300-10-1/2 Z means a 300 denier multifilament yarn with 10 filaments (each 30 d.) with a half turn per inch and a Z-twist. This is NOT a plied
yarn.

SPECIAL YARN TYPES

Microdenier Stretch Novelty Chenille Metallic

MICRODENIER YARNS
Developed in late 1980s Finer filaments than silk (less than 1 denier) Extremely soft and drapable Expensive

STRETCH YARNS
POWER STRETCH COMFORT STRETCH

Holding power is required Highly elastic yarns High recovery force

Designed to yield with body movement Low recovery force Fabrics look the same as nonstretch

Types of Stretch Yarns

1. 2. 3. 4. Bare Elastic Covered Elastic Core-spun Textured yarns Grin-through Unrecovered stretch

 Covered elastic

Core spun

Texturized yarns are widely used as comfort stretch yarns.

False-twist method Knife-edge method Gear crimping Stuffer box method Air-jet method Knit-deknit method

Thermoplastic fibers made texturizing possible. Slack mercerized yarns Yarns with texture vs. texturized yarns

NOVELTY YARNS
Fancies Yarns not uniform in thickness
- seed - nub - thick and thin - spiral or corkscrew - slub - boucle

CHENILLE YARNS
Pile twisted between 2 core yarns Low abrasion resistance Prone to pilling and balding

METALLIC YARNS
Flat, ribbon-like
Tape yarns Metallics and olefins

Supported by wrapping with filament yarns

combination yarns Fasciated yarns

Usually for decorative purposes

SEWING THREADS
Main fibers: cotton, nylon, polyester, rayon Main yarn types:
Spun Filament Core spun

Always plied Highly twisted Often treated with special finishes or lubricants

THREAD FINISHES
Mercerization Soft Glace Bonded Flame resistant and heat resistant for high speed sewing Lubricated

THREAD SELECTION FACTORS

Type of materials to be stitched together Type of seaming used Product performance expected Method of cleaning