Floss Silk

Silk yarn made from the tangled waste silk from the outside of cocoons. An embroidery silk is also known by this term and is made by doubling two thick singles having a right-hand twist with a left-hand twist (see Silk Yams)

Silk yarns are composed of a number of silk filaments twisted together, usually 8 to 12 to form a thread. The filaments have a natural coating of gum which gives strength and elasticity, but reduces lustre. The gum must be boiled off if lustre is wanted, which may be done either in the yarn state or when woven in cloth. Silk yarns are divided into two classes, " thrown silk" and " spun silk," the first being yarns that are made by the processes of reeling and throwing, and the second consisting of yarns spun from waste silk. Thrown Silk, or Net Silk comprises organzine and tram yarns, organzine being made from the most perfect cocoons and used for warps. Tram is made from the inferior cocoons and used as weft. All silk contains a proportion of natural gum, and the amount of gum removed give rise to the following terms: - Boiled-off Silk - Yarn which has had all the gum removed, and has the highest sheen (see Boiled-off). Hard Silk - Yarn that has not undergone any boiling-off process. Ecru Silk - Yarn boiled to remove about 3 per cent to 5 per cent of the gum by light washing in lukewarm water. Souple Silk - Yarn boiled to remove about one-sixth of the gum. Bengal Silk - See Bengal Silk. Berlin Silk - A silk yarn made for fancy hand work. It is produced by doubling from 4 to 8 twisted singles grege by a right-hand twist; then again doubling three of these with a left-hand twist. The thread is very round, smooth, and hard, also known as cordon-net. Blond Silk - A special silk yarn made by doubling three grege threads left-hand twist, then doubling three of these together with right-hand twist. Brights - Silk which has been entirely de-gummed in the skein and then dyed. Bourette, Bourrette Yarn - A low grade of silk yarn made from the waste produced by schappe spinning. Canton Silk - See Canton Silk. Chiffon Twist - Single raw silk threads, 50 or more turns per inch. Used for chiffons, crepe-de-chines, etc. Crepe-de-Chine - Hard twist tram silk, about 40 to 70 turns per inch. Made from 3 to 5 raw silk ends. Usually woven as weft. Crepe Georgette - Hard twist raw silk usually made from two threads 13/15 deniers, 50 or more turns, both right and left twist, used for crepe georgettes as warp and weft. Crepe Twist - This is tram silk hard twisted, having from 30 to 100 turns per inch. Used for making fabrics of a crepe character both all silk and mixtures. Cordonnet Silk - See Berlin Silk; also under Cordonnet. Eri Silk - A raw silk obtained from the wild silkworm " Attacus ricini." Flock Silk - A general term used to indicate silk yarns made from the outer uneven parts of the cocoon. Floss Silk - Used principally for embroidery purposes. It is a thrown silk and made by doubling two thick raw singles with right-hand twist together with a left-hand twist. Galette Silk - A coarse silk yarn made from waste. Grenadine Silk - Organzine silk with a large number of turns per inch. Jaspe Silk - Silk warps printed in the hank. Ombre Silk - Skein dyed yarn in a gradation of shades, which run in sequence of depth of colour, varying from five up to forty shades. Schappe Silk - A spun silk yarn which is made from silk degummed by the maceration process used on the Continent (see Schappe Silk). Soie Ondee - See Soie Ondee. Silk Yarns - In addition to the foregoing yarns see under the following terms for further silk yarns: - Cable, Cevennes, Chappe, Chine, Clochepeid, Crocheting, Crue (see Ecru), Cuite Cusier, Cusirino, Degummed, Docken, Doup-pion. Ecru, Embroidery, Etschingo, Filature, Filature a 1'Europeune, Filet, Florette, Fringe, Goffered, Grege, Gum Hainin, Hard, Kahing, Knitting, Lousy, Marabout, Maybasch, Melange, Mele, Mi-cuit, Minchcw, Nett, Noil, Organzine, Ouvrees, Oval, Pearlina, Pel, Pelo, Poie, Pure dye Silk, Raw (see Grege), Re-reels, Retorse, Senegal, Sewing, Simonita, Soft Singles, Soie Ondee, Souple, Spun, Steeped, Strafilato, Stumba, Thrown, Tors San File, Tram, Tramette, Tsatlees, Tussah, Twist, Washed, Zaguri.

There are several kinds of waste silk as follows: - Watt silk. Floss or Frissons, Rigotti, Wadding, Neri, Galettame, Basinetto, Cocons, Perves, Piques, Tarmate, Rugginose, Strussa, Fresonnets (see each term). Also other varieties are given under the terms: - China, Curlies, China wastes, Indian waste, Kunba, Nankin Buttons, Pun-jum waste, Sychuen waste, Shanghai waste, and Steam waste.

Waste silk from stained or imperfect cocoons, such as have been punctured by the worms. It is a valuable material for floss silk.

The term in Madras for floss silk.

A yarn similar to floss silk but with less twist.

Pure silk thread specially prepared for dental work.

The silk floss obtained from the cocoon after the good thread has been reeled. The yam spun from this waste is used for carbaso and laffis cloths.

Silk floss from Turkestan.

Silk yarns that are strong and hard twisted. Usually made by twisting together 1, 2 or 3 grege threads to the left then doubling two or three together with a right-hand twist. There are three classes of sewing silks, viz., those for plain sewing as above, those for knitting and the third for embroidery. There are also various names as follows: - Light dyes, coloured sewing silk, in skeins or reels. Machine silks, from 30 to 200 yards on reels. Floss silk, for darning, in hank form. Soie Platte, another name for floss silk. Filoselle, carded and spun silk waste used for all purposes. Bourre de Soie, another name for filoselle. Tailors' twist, coarse yarn for tailor's work. Also see ice silk, sole mi-serre, mitorse silk.

A variety of couching done with floss silk, Dacca silk, silk, gold and silver cord (see Couching)

Used in Ecclesiastical embroidery, and is a variety of couching made with silk, floss silk, or gold and silver threads. The stitches resemble a regular course of brickwork.

This term was originally applied to narrow tapes made from floss silk in Italy and France. Today it denotes a strong binding material composed of cotton, wool or silk.

To disentangle, straighten, and cut into lengths, as refuse and floss silk.

Work done by Arab women from very ancient times. The designs are very elaborate, geometrical figuring done with floss silk on muslin or cloth in brilliant colours. Algerian embroidery is the same.

A cottage industry in several Continental countries, fancy designs of leaves, flowers, etc., are traced on a broad braid, the design is continuous. The edges are sewn with floss silk and then the designs are cut out of the braid giving a strip of any required length.

A variety of exquisite needlework, practised by the natives of India, Persia, China and Japan. Coloured pieces of cloth are cut in handsome designs and sewn together with floss silk or gold and silver thread. The work is really inlaid applique.

Imperfect cocoons such as those punctured by the worms and used for floss silk spinning.

A French name for floss silk.

A trimming fringe composed of tufts of floss silk attached to a cord gimp which passes along the centre of the edging braid. Fashionable in George III's time.