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 The
value of a length of woven material lies primarily in the
time taken in design, loom preparation, the weaving and the
fabric finishing. The cost of the weaving yarn is generally
a very small proportion of the final value. At first sight
there is a huge range of yarns available to the hand loom
weaver. Poor weaving yarn selection can ruin all the work
invested in the fabric. Savings from buying a cheap yarn are
rarely a good or wise investment.
All our yarns are designed to be strong enough for use as
weaving yarns. They can all be used in the weft and most are
strong enough to cope with the strain of being tugged through
heddles as a warp yarn. We have increasingly introduced yarns
that push the parameter, which make for interesting three
dimensional weaving and also mean that the yarns are suitable
for a more interesting range of knitting.
 In
addition, the new range of Traub yarns offer quality yarns
for use by weavers, dyers, knitters, braiders & crocheters.
They include 5 types of worsted spun wool yarn and 5 types
of woollen spun wool yarn plus the interesting Flamme wool
yarn which combines one ply of thick and one ply of thin.
The Traub yarn range extends to Cotton chenille, cotton/linen
and silk yarns. These knitting and weaving yarns are dispatched
from Traub, Germany and take 14 working days from the date
of order.
Available from stock are a wide range of paper yarns, wire,
silk knitting yarns, mohair loop, cotton chenille yarn, linen
and wool yarns, and the textured Caterpillar and Cocoon yarns.
These are usually dispatched within 3 working days.
Yarn Counts
 There
are a great many systems for defining the ‘grist’
of a yarn. Most come from an area with a tradition of spinning
a yarn for a specific purpose. This has given rise to ‘Galashiels
Cut’, ‘West of England Hank’, and ‘Yorkshire
Skein’ counts for woolen spun yarns. There are also
a range of American counts derived from local usage.
Silk, Cotton, Linen and worsted spun wool each have their
own systems. These counts have the common characteristic of
a higher number indicating a finer yarn and vice versa.
 Many
commercial yarns are now described in ‘Tex’ which
defines the weight in grams per 1,000 metres. Here the higher
number indicates a heavier yarn. Other direct measuring systems
are used for silk including denier, and for linen.
A plied yarn is described by the singles count and the ply,
but the order is often inconsistent; eg. 2/6 could describe
a two ply or a six ply yarn.
Yarn Weights
 All natural yarns, especially wools, absorb significant
quantities of moisture. As a result a package of yarn initially
wound to a specific weight may gain or lose up to 10% of its
original weight before being sold, and this is the accepted
limit within the trade. Retailers will always try to give
the correct weight but on occasions cops and hanks may weigh
substantially over or under the specified amount by the time
they are in the weaver’s hands.
The Twist
The twist in singles controls its strength and resistance
to rubbing. A high twist gives a hard unyielding yarn whilst
a lower twist gives a more elastic feel. When the singles
are plied to make the  final
yarn, the twist in the singles is normally balanced out to
give a stable yarn. However some yarns are specially made
to retain a considerable amount of twist, and are unbalanced.
They ‘snarl up’ when left loose. This energy is
used to create a fabric which collapses after being released
from the loom, creating a crepe finish.
How Much Yarn?
We are often asked how much yarn is needed for a rug. We
invariably give Collingwood’s figures for a flat woven
rug.
For warp yarn allow ¾lb yarn for a 3’ x 5’
rug and for weft yarn, allow approximately ½lb yarn
per square foot or 2.5kg per square metre.
This helps somewhat towards calculating quantities to have
in hand before starting your project - but of course every
weaver beats differently so it can only be a guide.
Warp Yarns for Rug and Tapestry Weaving
 In
most hand weaving the warp yarns are subject both to tension
and abrasion as they pass through the loom. This generally
calls for a higher quality yarn than in the weft.
Recent changes in commercial wool and other animal fibre
yarn production, such as air splicing, has reduced the number
of turns per inch in the final yarn. This, with the shorter
fibres, lowers the strength of the yarn. In general most commercial
wool yarns are now too fragile for use as warps in hand weaving.
We have identified some production yarns which meet the
needs of hand-weavers. Increasingly we commission yarns for
the hand weaver, or up-twisting existing yarns to give the
necessary strength. Special yarns with a very high twist,
for producing crepe or seersucker fabrics can be obtained
in both wool and silk.
Fibrecrafts
has developed a range of hard spun cotton and linen warps
specifically for rug and tapestry weaving.
 The linen warp is commissioned by us and spun in Belgium
from local fibre. The Standard linen warp is assembled from
dry spun singles. This yarn has a rough finish, allowing the
more open sett warp required with a heavy rug weft, holding
the weft firmly. Linen warp is hardwearing, but inelastic,
and places considerable strain on the loom, particular if
a deep shed is required. The more positive shedding action
of a countermarch loom is an advantage.
The cotton warps are much more elastic, though not as robust.
They are valuable for softer rugs, and for use by the student
weaver and particularly for tapestry work. The recommended
setts for each weight of warp is given in the product description.
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