Fibre and Fabric
From fibre to yarn to cloth.
A fibre is a fine thread-like structure. Spun into yarn and then woven, knitted or bonded, it becomes fabric. Textile production was among the first processes to be mechanised, and the Industrial Revolution began largely in cloth.
Fibre sources
| Type | Source | Examples | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | Cellulose | Cotton, linen, hemp, jute | Absorbent, cool, creases |
| Animal | Protein | Wool, silk, cashmere | Warm, elastic, damaged by heat |
| Regenerated | Processed cellulose | Viscose, rayon, lyocell | Silk-like drape |
| Synthetic | Petrochemicals | Polyester, nylon, acrylic | Strong, quick-drying, thermoplastic |
Spinning
Short staple fibres hold together only when twisted, and that twist is what gives yarn its strength. Silk is the exception — a single filament can run hundreds of metres, so it needs little twist. Tighter twist gives smoother, stronger, harder yarn; looser twist gives softer, loftier, weaker yarn.
Woven, knitted, non-woven
Weaving interlaces two sets of yarn at right angles — warp and weft — giving stable fabric with little stretch. Knitting forms interlocking loops from a single yarn, so it stretches and recovers, and will ladder if one loop breaks. Non-wovens such as felt bond fibres directly by heat, pressure or adhesive, with no yarn stage at all.