Fibre / Fabric
Fibers
Natural fibres are either from animals (sheep, goat, rabbit, silk-worm), mineral (asbestos), or from plants (cotton, flax, sisal). These vegetable fibres can come from the seed (cotton), the stem (known as bast fibres: flax, hemp, jute) or the leaf (sisal). Without exception, many processes are needed before a clean even staple is obtained – each with a specific name. With the exception of silk, each of these fibres is short, being only centimetres in length, and each has a rough surface that enables it to bond with similar staples.
Artificial fibres can be processed as long fibres or batched and cut so they can be processed like a natural fibre.
Natural
Animal
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wool - derived from the fur of animals of the Caprinae family, principally sheep, but the hair of certain species of other mammals such as goats, alpacas, and rabbits may also be called wool.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merino
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiengora - a yarn or wool spun from dog hair
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk - natural protein fibre, composed mainly of fibroin and produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons
Plant
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiber_crop - are field crops grown for their fibres, which are traditionally used to make paper,[1] cloth, or rope. The fibers may be chemically modified, like in viscose (used to make rayon and cellophane). In recent years materials scientists have begun exploring further use of these fibers in composite materials.
Fiber crops are generally harvestable after a single growing season, as distinct from trees, which are typically grown for many years before being harvested for such materials as wood pulp fiber or lacebark. In specific circumstances, fiber crops can be superior to wood pulp fiber in terms of technical performance, environmental impact or cost.
There are a number of issues regarding the use of fiber crops to make pulp. One of these is seasonal availability. While trees can be harvested continuously, many field crops are harvested once during the year and must be stored such that the crop doesn't rot over a period of many months. Considering that many pulp mills require several thousand tonnes of fiber source per day, storage of the fiber source can be a major issue. Botanically, the fibers harvested from many of these plants are bast fibers; the fibers come from the phloem tissue of the plant. The other fiber crop fibers are seed padding, leaf fiber, or other parts of the plant.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phloem - the living tissue that carries organic nutrients (known as photosynthate), in particular, sucrose, a sugar, to all parts of the plant where needed. In trees, the phloem is the innermost layer of the bark, hence the name, derived from the Greek word φλοιός (phloios) meaning "bark". The phloem is concerned mainly with the transport of soluble organic material made during photosynthesis. This process of transportation is called translocation
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bast_fibre - plant fibre collected from the phloem (the "inner bark", sometimes called "skin") or bast surrounding the stem of certain dicotyledonous plants. They support the conductive cells of the phloem and provide strength to the stem. Some of the economically important bast fibres are obtained from herbs cultivated in agriculture, as for instance flax, hemp, or ramie, but also bast fibres from wild plants, as stinging nettle, and trees such as lime or linden, wisteria, and mulberry have been used in the past. Bast fibres are classified as soft fibres, and are flexible. Fibres from monocotyledonous plants, called "leaf fibre", are classified as hard fibres and are stiff.
Since the valuable fibres are located in the phloem, they must often be separated from the xylem material ("woody core"), and sometimes also from the epidermis. The process for this is called retting, and can be performed by micro-organisms either on land (nowadays the most important) or in water, or by chemicals (for instance high pH and chelating agents) or by pectinolytic enzymes. In the phloem, bast fibres occur in bundles that are glued together by pectin and calcium ions. More intense retting separates the fibre bundles into elementary fibres, that can be several centimetres long. Often bast fibres have higher tensile strength than other kinds, and are used in high-quality textiles (sometimes in blends with cotton or synthetic fibres), ropes, yarn, paper, composite materials and burlap. An important property of bast fibres is that they contain a special structure, the fibre node, that represents a weak point, and gives flexibility. Seed hairs, such as cotton, do not have nodes.
Cotton
There are four commercially grown species of cotton, all domesticated in antiquity:
- Gossypium hirsutum – upland cotton, native to Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and southern Florida (90% of world production)
- Gossypium barbadense – known as extra-long staple cotton, native to tropical South America (8% of world production)
- Gossypium arboreum – tree cotton, native to India and Pakistan (less than 2%)
- Gossypium herbaceum – Levant cotton, native to southern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (less than 2%)
Jute
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jute - a long, soft, shiny vegetable fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced primarily from plants in the genus Corchorus, which was once classified with the family Tiliaceae, more recently with Malvaceae, and has now been reclassified as belonging to the family Sparrmanniaceae. The primary source of the fiber is Corchorus olitorius, but it is considered inferior to Corchorus capsularis. "Jute" is the name of the plant or fiber that is used to make burlap, hessian or gunny cloth. The word 'jute' is probably coined from the word jhuta or jota, an Oriya word.
Jute is one of the most affordable natural fibers and is second only to cotton in amount produced and variety of uses of vegetable fibers. Jute fibers are composed primarily of the plant materials cellulose and lignin. It falls into the bast fiber category (fiber collected from bast, the phloem of the plant, sometimes called the "skin") along with kenaf, industrial hemp, flax (linen), ramie, etc. The industrial term for jute fiber is raw jute. The fibers are off-white to brown, and 1–4 metres (3–13 feet) long. Jute is also called the golden fiber for its color and high cash value.
Flax
Hemp
Mineral
Man-made (artificial)
Regenerated
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_silk - or artificial silk
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viscose - solution of cellulose xanthate made by treating a cellulose compound with sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide. viscose solution is used to spin the fiber viscose rayon, or rayon, a soft man-made fiber commonly used in dresses, linings, shirts, shorts, coats, jackets, and other outer wear. Viscose rayon is a fiber made from regenerated wood cellulose. Viscose rayon is structurally similar to cotton, which is almost pure cellulose.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modal_(textile) - type of rayon, a semi-synthetic cellulose fiber made by spinning reconstituted cellulose, in this case often from beech trees
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyocell - soft, absorbent, very strong when wet or dry, and resistant to wrinkles; lyocell fabric can be machine- or hand-washed or drycleaned, it drapes well, and it can be dyed many colors, and can simulate a variety of textures such as suede, leather, and silk
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramie#Uses - used to make such products as industrial sewing thread, packing materials, fishing nets, and filter cloths. It is also made into fabrics for household furnishings (upholstery, canvas) and clothing, frequently in blends with other textile fibers
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_textiles - Cellulose from bamboo is suitable for processing into viscose rayon
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellophane - thin, transparent sheet made of regenerated cellulose
Semi-synthetic
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayon#Major_fiber_properties - made from purified cellulose, primarily from wood pulp, which is chemically converted into a soluble compound. It is then dissolved and forced through a spinneret to produce filaments which are chemically solidified, resulting in synthetic fibers of nearly pure cellulose. Because rayon is manufactured from naturally occurring polymers, it is considered a semi-synthetic fiber. Specific types of rayon include viscose, modal and lyocell, each of which differs in manufacturing process and properties of the finished product.
Synthetic
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulose_acetate - the acetate ester of cellulose. used as a synthetic fiber in the manufacture of cigarette filters and playing cards.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_terephthalate - polyester or 'dacron
Yarn
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarn - produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands.
Making
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinning_(textiles)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_spinning
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plying
Thread
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread_(yarn) - kind of yarn used for sewing
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embroidery_thread
Other
Cloth
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textile - or cloth. flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Textiles are formed by weaving, knitting, crocheting, knotting, or pressing fibres together (felt).
Weaving
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weaving - method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Woven_fabrics
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Figured_fabrics
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linen - textile made from the fibers of the flax plant
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweed_(cloth) - rough, unfinished woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill_(fabric)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_weave - also called tabby weave, linen weave or taffeta weave, where warp and weft are aligned so they form a simple criss-cross pattern
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satin - glossy surface and a dull back. The satin weave is characterized by four or more cool fill or weft yarns floating over a warp yarn or vice versa
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twill - type of textile weave with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs (in contrast with a satin and plain weave). Examples of twill fabric are denim, tweed, chino, gabardine, drill, covert, and serge.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canvas - extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required.
Knitting
Crocheting
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crochet - a form of needlework using thread and a hook to create a kind of fabric.
Felting
to sort
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quilting - either to the process of creating a quilt or to the sewing of two or more layers of material together to make a thicker padded material
Embroidery
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embroidery - the handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Needlepoint - form of counted thread embroidery in which yarn is stitched through a stiff open weave canvas
- https://medium.com/re-form/fifty-three-thousand-knots-one-mans-journey-into-the-craft-of-tatted-lace-deefb55795f3 [1]
Learning
Sewing machine
Clothing
Publications
- http://www.knitty.com - free patterns, etc.
Social
- https://ravelry.com/ - requires an free account to view
People
Software
Misc.