FRENCH CASHMERE

An all-worsted dress fabric woven in the 2 & 2 twill weave instead of the usual 2 & 1. Qualities are about 60 ends and 120 picks per inch, 42's warp, 48's weft, botany yarns. Piece-dyed in many colours. Differs from the ordinary Cashmere by having botany warp.

French woollen manufacturers make a fabric on jacquard looms in many coloured effects from fine worsted and woollen yarns that they term cashmere shawls. At the best they are only imitations. ———————— The natives of Kashmir and Tibet have made these shawls for centuries, and they are, perhaps, the finest textiles known. They are made on hand looms from hand spun yarns of Pashmina wool. Either plain or twill weave, one or more colours, in numerous gorgeous designs and often being embroidered. A doubled warp yarn and single weft is usual, the weft being wound on small sticks to use as shuttles. There are numerous varieties, of which the most esteemed are Doshalla, Kussaba, Jamewar and Ulwan. The fabric is also used for gowns and dress purposes (see kasabeh, jamawar). The ornaments of the shawls are denoted by different names, viz: - Pala - The whole of the embroidery at the two ends. Hashia - The border, one at each side. Zanjir (or Chain) - Runs above and also below the principal mass of the Pala and confines it. Dhour (or Running Ornament) - Situated to the inside in regard to the Hashia and the Zanjir enveloping the whole field. Kunjbutha - A cornet ornament of clustered flowers. Mitton - The field or ground within the borders. Matton - The decorated part of the field. Butha - Generic term for flowers, especially the cone-like ornaments (see butha)

A style showing palms and other Persian and Indian patterns in dark, rich oriental colourings. Akin to Persian effects. The name is derived from Cashmere, India, noted for shawls, and other beautiful fabrics, made from the hair of the native goat. The French-made shawls of this name are the finest quality they make. They are ornamented on above principles of design with silk figuring on cashmere wool ground.

(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.

The hair or wool of the goat of that name. More generally known as mohair. The animal originally had its home in Asia Minor. About 1858 it was introduced into Cape Colony, from which country we now get a large supply. The natives of Asia Minor made shawls from the wool, which resembled Cashmere shawls. In colour it is white, average length of hair is 6 to 8 inches, and- has a curly structure. It is a very useful fibre, and largely used by the manufacturers of Astrakhan, wool crepons, plushes and cashmeres; also used in many silk cloths. The French use the fibre in a cloth named "poil de chevre", which has a fine spun silk coloured warp and angora weft. Bradford -imitates this cloth with a fine cotton warp. It has more lustre than wool, but is not so warm. Sir Titus Salt, by introducing the manufacture of goods made from mohair into Saltaire, raised Saltaire into a town from a village.

The French word for " cut through." Denotes cut cashmere weave, or lines cutting the twills lengthwise of the piece.

A worsted dress cloth, 2 & 2 twill weave, low ends and picks, soft and woolly handle, piece-dyed. It is a trade name and claimed to be the finest wool cloth made. Originated by Paul Rodier, a French manufacturer and made from camel hair in 54-in. Today the yarns are a special blend of cashmere and merino wools. The fabric is a vicuna with a kasha finish and is registered under this name.

The hair obtained from the Angora goat, and is grown chiefly in Turkey, South Africa, the U.S.A. and Australia. It is lustrous white, fine, wavy and long. The length varies from 4-in. to 10-in. and spins from 28's to 50's quality. It has no felting properties. That from the U.S.A. is much lower in quality than the others, having about 15 per cent more kempy fibre. Mohair is chiefly used in braids, felt hats, linings, plushes, etc., and the coarser kinds for carpets and low-grade woollen fabrics. ———————— The hair or wool of the goat of that name. More generally known as mohair. The animal originally had its home in Asia Minor. About 1858 it was introduced into Cape Colony, from which country we now get a large supply. The natives of Asia Minor made shawls from the wool, which resembled Cashmere shawls. In colour it is white, average length of hair is 6 to 8 inches, and- has a curly structure. It is a very useful fibre, and largely used by the manufacturers of Astrakhan, wool crepons, plushes and cashmeres; also used in many silk cloths. The French use the fibre in a cloth named "poil de chevre", which has a fine spun silk coloured warp and angora weft. Bradford -imitates this cloth with a fine cotton warp. It has more lustre than wool, but is not so warm. Sir Titus Salt, by introducing the manufacture of goods made from mohair into Saltaire, raised Saltaire into a town from a village.