FLAX COUNTS

This is based upon the number of teas of 300 yards each that weigh 1-lb. Thus 50's lea means that 50 leas of 300 yards each weigh 1-lb. The linen reel is usually 90-in. in circumference. 1 thread = 2¹/₂ yards. 120 threads = 300 yards = 1 lea. 10 leas = 1 hank. 20 hanks - 1 bundle.

(See knitting). All yarns used for knitting are termed hosiery yarns in Leicester, but in America only yarns actually used for knitted footwear come under this term. These yarns are much softer than required for weaving. Miscellaneous Yarns - Goat wools, such as llama and alpaca are employed in spinning. yarns for the knitting trade. Vicuna and camel yarns are used to a limited extent. Ramie yarn is specially employed for knitting gas mantle fabrics. Soft spun flax yams have been used for making underwear fabric. Chenille and other manufactured threads are used to a small extent in warp knitting. Composite yarns, such as union yarns - spun from a mixture of wool and cotton fibres; cordon yarns - cotton and worsted singles, doubled together; wool and rayon or spun silk, cotton and rayon or spun silk are largely used to produce self or two-colour effects. Fancy yarns, such as slub yams, voiles, and curled and loop yarns are also employed. Hosiery Yarns (Cotton) include condenser, hosiery, condenser lisle thread, mercerised and sewing cottons. Condenser yarns are spun in coarse counts from low-grade cotton, Indian and American. They are carded, condensed and mule spun, and possess little twist. Hosiery cotton yarns vary considerably in counts and qualities, practically all varieties of Indian, American and Egyptian being used in varying proportions to obtain suitable mixture for quality and price. Cheaper yarns are carded and mule spun. American and Egyptian cotton yarns are combed mainly with the object of removing seed particles. High-class Egyptian and Sea Islands cotton yarns are super-combed. The chief features of a hosiery cotton yam should be: (1) Regularity; (2) cleanliness; (3) fullness. Regularity prevents the making of cloudy fabric, showing thick and thin places. Cleanliness is essential, as the seed particles clog the eyelet hole in the yam guides and cause breakages. Fullness is desirable to cover the loop interstices. Elasticity and pliability are quite as essential as tensile strength. Yams are usually soft spun and if two-fold soft doubled, average twists in two-fold being 2/10's 6¹/₂T., 2/20's 8¹/₂T., 2/30's 10T., 2/40's 16T., 2/80's 20T. Softer twist less 25 to 30 per cent of average (T= turns per inch). Lisle thread is a comparatively hard-twisted and doubly-gassed thread in which there are no projecting fibres. It is always of a two-fold character, and the doubling twist varies from 24 to 34 turns per inch in 2/60's. It is used largely in the manufacture of ladies' hose tops and feet and for lace hosiery. Mercerised yams are used largely in the fancy trade, a comparatively soft twist again being employed. Sewing cottons for seaming, linking and making-up are specially prepared in two to six cord open and reverse twist. Woollen and Worsted Yarns include lamb's wool, wheeling, skein yarns, gala yams (woollens), worsted, crossbreds, fingering, cashmere, dry spun botany (see under each name). Worsted and crossbred yarns of various qualities are used. These yams are spun softly with " hosiery twist." The drawing may be open, cone or French, and the spinning may take place on cap, ring or flyer frames. The chief essentials of hosiery yarn are softness of fibre, fullness, minimum of twist consistent with the requisite tensile strength, regularity, pliability and elasticity. Cashmere Yarns, as used in the knitted goods industry, are spun from short, loose and weak wools as well as from better qualities by French drawing and mule spinning. A small proportion of real cashmere is used for outer garments. In recent years nylon yarns have been largely employed.

Is not a flax yarn, but a lustrous fabric which resembles linen. It is made in India from the fibres of the bolls of a native plant. Woven in plain and twill weaves, low reed and pick and medium counts about 12's to 16's.

The Spanish name given to a plain weave cloth woven from all-flax yam, 28-in. to 36-in., and in various reeds, picks and counts of yarn.

A fine batiste made in France from flax yarns, about 80 X 66, 110's/140's, linen counts.

(1) The fifth quality of wool in the woollen sorting system; (2) a bundle of flax or hemp 2 feet in length and weighing about 6-lb.; (3) a measure in the " cuts " system of counts, containing 1,920 yards, or 8 cuts of 240 yards each. ———————— A Scottish yarn measure according to the Stirling system equal to 1,920 yards.

Super yarns used principally for hosiery and underwear. Spun from the finest of long staple combed cotton, hard twisted, gassed and mercerised to give a smooth surface. Originally made from flax at Lille (France) and used for open weave net fabrics. The cotton thread is harder twisted than usual in the doubling process in order to give a firm feel to the fabric, in addition to its better wearing quality and greater elasticity. Knit fabrics made from lisle thread have less tendency to " ladder " than other threads. The counts range from 2/50's to 2/100's or finer. It was known as Scotch thread.

A measure of length used in the counting of dry spun flax and jute yarns. A spyndle consists of 48 leas of 300 yards each = 14,400 yards, and the weight of this length in pounds gives the counts.

Canvas cloth made from unbleached flax or hemp yarns and used for aprons and furniture covers. About 26-in. to 30-in. wide, plain weave, 42 ends and 42 picks per inch. Various counts of yarn.