Piece Goods Manual / Fabrics described; textile, knit goods, weaving terms, etc., explained; with notes on the classification of samples.

by A. E. Blanco

Textile Fibres.—The principal fibres which enter into the construction of textiles can be divided into the following six classes:—

Vegetable.—Cotton, flax, ramie, rhea, china grass, jute, hemp, kapok, and marine fibre.

Modification of Vegetable.—Mercerised cotton, artificial silk, animalised cotton, artificial wool, paper yarn.

Animal.—Sheep's wool, mohair, cashmere, camel hair, alpaca, vicuna, llama, guanaco, rabbit hair, horsehair, cow and calf hair.

Animal Secretions.—Silk and wild silk.

Mineral.—Asbestos.

Metallic.—Gold, silver, and other wires, metal-coated fibres.

Thickset.—One of the many varieties of Fustian, which comprise Corduroys, Velveteens, Moleskins, Thickset, etc.

Thread.—In general, a twisted strand of cotton, flax, wool, silk, etc., spun out to considerable length is called thread. In a specific sense, thread is a compound cord consisting of two or more yarns firmly united together by twisting. Thread made of silk is technically known as sewing thread; that made of flax is known as linen thread; while cotton thread intended for sewing is commonly called spool cotton. These distinctions are generally observed by the trade.