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Warp and weft: working with contamination

11.03.2020 Blog
Warp and weft: working with contamination

In conventional woollen cloth manufacturing, a warp is made from yarn that runs parallel to a cloth’s length but is ‘hidden' in its centre. The warp is fed from cone-shaped bobbins (to reduce surface tension) through a frame that allows yarn to be loaded onto a drum. Next, the drum is positioned on a loom, turning slowly to deliver warp threads running the length of the cloth.

For most good quality woollen cloths, both warp and weft yarns are of a similar construction and fibre content (say, mostly wool). For some cheaper alternatives, ‘hidden’ (often cotton) warp yarns can be ‘covered’ by the woollen weft, making the ‘face’ look good on the cloth’s surface. The intention of the fabric designer is to appeal to the market on price and appearance and not be concerned with any unintended costs when such fabrics go unnoticed during recycling by shredding or pulling, which contaminates other ‘pure’ woollen garments in a blend. 

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