The other and more general system is the English. The hank is 840 yards and the number of the hanks in 1 pound avoirdupois is the count of the yarn. It is based on the finished yarn, and singles and two and three cord yarns of the same number have all the same number of yards per pound. Thus:—
| No. | 50 singles | has | 42,000 | yards | per pound. |
| " | 50/2 | " | 42,000 | " | " |
| " | 50/3 | " | 42,000 | " | " |
Sliver.—A continuous strand of cotton or other fibre in a loose, untwisted condition, ready for the further process of slubbing or roving, preparatory to being spun.
Spanish Stripes, Cotton.—A plain-woven all-cotton fabric, sometimes woven from dyed yarns, but oftenest met with as a piece-dyed material woven with a simple one-over and one-under weave. The selvedge is often woven with black warp threads to the width of about 1 inch. The filling weft threads are soft and full, the warp threads are much finer and hard-twisted. The surface is raised and the general appearance of the fabric is similar to Flannelette. Often met with in bright vermilion. Average width, 56 inches; length, 25 yards per piece; and value (nominal), 7d. per yard.
Spanish Stripes, Woollen.—Essentially an all-wool fabric, free from any ornamentation of weave, printing, or embossing, this class of fabric is woven with a plain one-over and one-under weave. Soft of handle, Spanish Stripes are generally dyed bright red and have as a distinguishing feature a selvedge of coarser warp threads from 1½ to 2 inches in width, some of which are dyed, prior to weaving, a different colour (generally black) to the rest of the warp threads or weft filling threads. These coloured warp threads go towards making generally three separate coloured stripes in the selvedge and have given rise to the name of this particular fabric. In width measuring up to 62 inches and with a length of 29 to 30 yards per piece, Woollen Spanish Stripes are met with in a limited range of quality and the average price of same taken over the period 1904 to 1914 was 1s. 8½d. per yard.
Spanish Stripes, Wool and Cotton.—This class of fabric, being a mixture and not a union fabric, answers to the description of a Woollen Spanish Stripe but differs from it in that it is woven from yarns which are composed of a mixture of wool and cotton. The "handle" is very nearly that of an all-wool fabric, the average width some 62 inches, and the length per piece 29 to 30 yards. The distinctive selvedge of this class of fabric is maintained in the wool and cotton variety.
Split Foot.—Refers to black or coloured hosiery having a white or unbleached sole.
Sponge Cloth.—A fine cotton or wool fabric having a surface resembling that of a small sponge.
Spun Silk.—Applied to a low grade of silk used in the cheaper lines of silk hosiery. It is made from floss, injured cocoons, husks, and waste from reeling, and bears the same relation to silk as cotton waste to cotton or shoddy to wool.