The word yarn always throws me, I automatically think of
wool when I see the word. It was not until I began this course that I realised
how much more there was to yarn. Yarn is actually a length of fibres, a
continuous length of fibres which are interlocked. I have always thought of
yarn as its main use being knitting, embroidery and sewing. I had not thought of
yarn for its other uses. For example, yarn which is then knitted or woven into
a fabric.
Yarn can be made from both natural and synthetic fibres. The
most common plant fibre used to make yarn is cotton, for synthetic yarns polyester
fibre are used. Animal fibres are also often used, such as wool from sheep, as
well as cashmere from goats, angora from rabbits and silk from insect larvae.
Wool is made of a natural protein called keratin which is
the same protein found in human hair. It has a small amount of calcium, sodium
and fat. The surface of each fibre is covered in scales, which are important in
making felts and traditional woollen cloths.
Spun yarn is made by twisting the fibres together into yarn
is called spinning. It can be made up of one fibre or several fibres. There is
also filament yarn, which is where filament fibres which are either twisted
together or simply grouped together. This can be either made up of a couple
fibres or lots of fibres.
There are different types of wool, there are softer wools such
as cashmere, while others are hardier and more robust, which can be used for
carpets and bedding.
Wool can be divided into three main categories, based on the
diameter (micron) of each fibre. One micron is equal to one millionth of a
metre and fibre length is recorded in millimetres. These are the main
measurements which determine the quality and use of the wool.
Fine wool- is a highly valued wool and is used by the
world’s leading fashion houses.
Medium wool- used in a variety of woven apparel cloths,
knitting yarns and furnishings.
Broad wool- useful for products such as carpets because of
its strength and durability
Wool is also biodegradable it can be returned to the soil, where
it releases nutrients into the ground. It takes a very short time to break down
once it’s in the soil, whereas most synthetics are extremely slow to decompose.
Woolmark
https://www.woolmark.com/industry/
Woolmark is a not-for-profit organisation that work
alongside Australia’s 60,000 woolgrowers to research, develop and certify
Australian wool. It focuses on Merino wool that is used for luxury clothing,
high-performance sportswear and next-to-skin clothing.
The Woolmark logo can be seen on many items which are either
made up of some or all wool,
Innovations
Woolmark has developed a wool/cotton denim blend which uses
the same warp yarn as traditional denim, but replaces some, or all, of the weft
yarns with machine-washable wool. The fabrics are finished the same as
traditional denim, but it gains all the natural benefits associated with wool.
Recent innovations in knitting technology have resulted in
an increase on the use of knits for shoe uppers. Not only does wool have its
natural properties but also in the way it is constructed aids performance.
Woolmark uses the latest OptimTM fibre stretching
techniques, a 100% Australian Merino wool fabric that is resistant to both wind
and rain has been created, delivering a unique, high-performance Merino wool
fabric that is ideal for outer-wear clothing.
They also promote wool for wool velvet, wool face masks, wool
fur eco-friendly alternative to synthetic or traditional fur.
There have also been developments in the processes in wool.
Digital fabric printing can now be produced on wool fabric, traditionally this
used to just be synthetic fibres. Digital
printing is where colour dyes are applied simultaneously in varying
concentrations to a prepared fabric surface through inkjet technology,
producing a printed fabric with intricate designs with infinite possibilities.
Woolmark is also developing natural dying on an industrial
level using such thing as plants, minerals, shells and insects. Woolmark
licensee Tintoria di Quarenga has created a natural dyeing processes called
NATURALE that uses more than 200 natural ingredients to create a wide range of
colours and shades suitable for dyeing wool and other natural fibres.
Woolmark have also developed Optim fibre stretching
technology, which is co-developed by Nanshan and The Woolmark Company,
pre-stretches Merino wool fibres which are then spun into yarn before being
woven to create wind and water-resistant fabric made from 100% Merino wool.
Campaign for Wool
http://www.campaignforwool.org/
The Campaign for Wool promotes the benefits of wool, focusing
on the environment and the welfare of the sheep. Looking to have a commercially
viable wool industry.
The Campaign for wool began in October 2010. The Campaign
for Wool has also been introduced to key international markets in Australia,
Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Japan. In 2012, the Campaign presented
the first ever ‘Wool House’ the World’s biggest celebration of wool which was
10 days of interior design, fashion, craftsmanship and textiles. Which looked
amazing with exhibitors such as, the crochet club, the Savile Row bespoke association
and Vi-Spring demonstrating their all-wool mattresses.
The Campaign launched Wool School, its first major
educational initiative. Encouraging designers to include wool within their designs.
They also have loads of information on their for crafters on how to knit and different
websites for yarn stockists.
Cotton Incorporated
Cotton Incorporated is a not-for-profit company serving every
aspect of the cotton industry. They were founded in 1970 in response to
synthetic textile fibres’ encroachment on cotton’s market share. They provide
the resources and research to help companies develop innovative, and profitable
cotton products. Supporting companies from the beginning when cotton is in its
rawest form to the finished end product.
Innovations
FABRICAST™
Cotton Incorporated have developed a fabric made of cotton
and wool that provides thermal properties and comfort in natural performance
fabrics. It is cotton blended with manmade fibres that enables lighter weights,
contrast dyeing effects, stretch, and technical hand feel. The collection looks
fun and interesting, but the website does little to explain how the fabric is
created. The website page seems to be more about showcasing the fabric rather
than explaining the construction.
Invista
Invista is a business that creates chemicals, polymers,
fabrics and fibres. They create a vast range of products from hiking wear, to carpets
and even the filling for your pillow. Their main focus is nylon, spandex and
polyester.
Innovations
CORDURA®- Durable, comfortable fabric for clothing, footwear
and bags. I did struggle to find how they did this.
I found the Invista website difficult to navigate and find
out about there product and processes. There was lots of information on about
why they are innovative and how they pride there staff and their responsibilities
to the environment. I feel that this site was aimed at suppliers to create the
products for example workwear and pillows.
Lurex
Lurex has been in company since 1946 they are the leading worldwide brand for metallic yarn. I was surprised at the number of different types of metallic yarn that is produced by Lurex. Looking through their website it was clear to see the different types and the different uses they have.
Unsupported- Unsupported yarns are slit film on bobbin or
bi-cone without any supporting yarns. They are mainly used in weaving or fancy yarn
production.
Supported- Supported yarns are produced by using two yarns
one in S and one in Z to give a balanced twist factor. These are predominantly
20 denier nylon supported yarns but also 45-denier polyester and 40- denier
Cupro are used.
Fine supported- A new edition to the Lurex range
incorporating very fine slit Lurex® films supported by texturised nylon
resulting in soft handle effects in the finished fabric. These Lurex® yarns
have been specifically designed for next to skin applications.
The Gimp yarn- Gimp yarns are produced with a central core usually
viscose around which is twisted an unsupported Lurex® yarn. These yarns have a round
cross section and are available either as bourdon gimp (fully covered) or space
gimp with a gap between the Lurex® twist showing the core which may give an
antique look, particularly with a black core.
Embroidery and Sewing threads- These Lurex® yarns are
specially designed for use on all multihead embroidery machines. Lurex® embroidery
and sewing threads are lubricated with silicon oil to reduce friction and
needle wear.
Glaze- The Lurex® Glaze range is a very versatile product
used extensively in weaving, knitting and on Schiffli embroidery machines. Due
to the nature of its construction, it gives a very soft handle in the ultimate
fabrics produced.
Bouclargent- This is made by a Bouclette construction consisting
of a fine unsupported Lurex® twisted with one end of an extra soft Cupro
(cellulose fibre derived from cotton linter to give a silk touch).
Lurex is manufactured using a laminating process. What is
means is that the metallic fibres are placed between two layers of Polyamide.
And then heat and pressure seal the fibres inside.
I found the Lurex website, interesting to look over there
was lots of information on the types of Lurex they produced, colour and ideas
on what to do with the Lurex. I struggled to gather much information on how the
Lurex is created on the website though or any innovative ideas they had. As
with the other pages their news pages had not been updated due to Covid which
meant there was no mention of any upcoming events or shows.
Pitti Immagine
https://www.pittimmagine.com/en
Pitti Immage is a collection of fairs, events and cultural initiatives.
Again, due to Covid they have moved their exhibitions online offering
masterclasses. A trade show displaying fashion and knitting, showcasing
fabrics, yarns and colour trend. On the website there is a link to all the
different exhibitors. I particularly like the research area https://filati.pittimmagine.com/en/spazioricerca
showcasing the new up and coming themes. There are some many interesting articles
to look through and get ideas, this is definitely a website I would be interested
in spending more time looking through and returning to for research.
Heimtextil
https://heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en.html
Heimtextil is a website for an international trade show for textile interior design, which is aimed at retailers, wholesalers and designers. Last year the show had 2,918 exhibitors presenting their innovations during the trade fair.
As a website there was very little about the traders. It was more about advertising the event rather than product. I can imagine if you were a store or an interior designer this would be ideal for you, but I had very little interest in the site.
This was a very eye opening research task I did not know there was so many websites for different types of yarns and the innovative ways it can be used. And I have taken away some good sites to use for future inspiration and research.
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