Wool goes through many processing stages before it is turned into product .
Carding — Opening fibres into a thin web and removing much of the vegetable matter and turning the wool into what is known as a sliver by separating the fibres .
Combing — The straightening of long fibres and removal of the shorter coiled fibres ( noils ) to produce what is known as Tops — long-fibred wool which has been machine combed but not twisted , so that all the fibres are smooth and aligned .
Spinning — where the fibre is pulled out and twisted to make a continuous strong thread — is a key part of the process as it transforms the wool from loose fibre to strong yarn . Commercial spinners are able to make yarn for many different uses . The key types of yarn produced by spinners are :
Woollen Yarn — Yarn made by twisting wool whose fibres lie in different directions . Yarn produced by the woollen system of spinning will have its textural finish completed in the spinning process .
Worsted Yarn — Yarn made from long , combed wool where the fibres lie parallel , can produce a very different finish ; smoother and finer finishes will be produced by this process . Also , the texture of worsted yarn , which is mostly used in cloth , can be altered by a variety of finishing processes ; these can be wet or dry .
Knitted fabric — Fabric made from a single continuous yarn knitted in interlocking loops .
Woven fabric — Cloth created from yarn . One set of threads is interlaced with another set which are lying in the opposite direction .
Carpet manufacturing — will use either a tufted process , where yarn is pushed through a pre-fabricated backing , or a woven process , where the surface of the carpet is made at the same time as the backing . �
Wool Processes and Terminology
Felt : Wool cloth made by intermingling wool fibres and using water and pressure to form them into a sheet . Finishing : Woven cloth is stabilised by wet and dry processes to set it . Fulling : The thickening and cleaning of newly woven cloth in woollen processing . Mending : Woven cloth may have faults . These have to be repaired . Teasels : Used to raise the surface of woven cloth . Tentering : Stretching woven fabric to dry during finishing . Warp : Yarn used as the basis for weaving cloth . This is laid down the length of the fabric . Weft : Yarn interwoven across the warp threads to make solid fabric . Yarn Count : The means of defining the density of a yarn .
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