Cotton Count Nomenclature

Cotton Count Nomenclature

1. Spun yarns or Stable yarns are normally referenced using the Cotton Count System. This is an indirect system so the lower the number, the fatter the yarn. http://www.textileglossary.com/terms/cotton-count.html
2. It’s assumed that the yarn is just one thread unless there’s a / followed by another number like 2. So, 30’s yarn or 30/1’s would both note one strand of yarn that has a cotton count of 30. 30/2’s would note 2 strands of 30/1’s are twisted together.
3. And then there are combed or carded yarns. These are processed in the spinning production. All stable yarns go through the carding process but not all go through the combing process. The combing process is like taking a comb through the yarn “sliver” and removing the short fibers.
4. It used to be assumed that rotor yarns or Open End spun yarns would not use combed cotton because you would not gain any of the long fiber benefits because the OE process does away with them. Combed Open End Yarns would be an Oxymoron. Don’t know if that changed but I do recall some marketers sending a portion of the yarn through the combing process so they could make this claim. At that time, the consumer was smart enough to feel the fabric and note no benefit so it did not stay around very long.
5. Yarn is sold by the kilo but both produced and consumed by the meter. So finer yarn counts cost more which is a problem for my “toss the garment on the scale” cost calculator. Over time, you figure out how to adjust for this.

6. The “Mother” of the best cotton compiled information is Cotton OutLook. But it’s too expensive for my business so I hunt around on line for free stuff. But, if you need the data for everything cotton in the world, here’s the link. http://www.cotton-net.com/cotlook/cotton_outlook.php

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The Underwear Maven
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