4/6/2015

NunoFeltingSuppliesandTechniquesMaterials

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Therearemanychoicesinfabrics,woolroving(wooltop),
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NunoFeltingSuppliesandTechniquesMaterials

andotherembellishmentsfornunofelting.However,the
lighterandmoreopenweavethefabricandthefinerthe
woolroving(wooltop)theeasieritistonunofelt.Lightersilk
fabricsaregreatfornunofeltingbecausethewoolfiberscan
easilyworktheirwaythroughthefabricandholdontothe
silk.

SilkFabrics
Silkscarveswithaweightof8mmorlessandrolledhems
aregreatfornunofelting.
Silkisconsideredoneofthemostluxuriousfabrics
worldwide.Silkisthestrongestnaturalfiberandhasa
beautifulshimmer.Thisshineincontrastwiththewool
createssomeofthewonderfuleffectsofnunofelting.
Therearemanytypesofsilkinmanyweights.Theweightof
silkismeasuredinmommes(mm),theweightinpoundsof
a45inchby100yardspieceofmaterial.Thelowerthe
mommes(mm)thelightertheweightofthesilk,andthe
easieritistonunofelt.
SilkFabricswhicharegreatforNunoFelting
(Theseplainweavesilkfabricswithaweightof8mmorless
workbestfornunofelting.)
Habotai
(alsocalled
Habutai,
China
Silk,and
Pongee)

Chiffon

SilkGauze

(typical
weightsare (typicalweightsare616 (typicalweightsare
516
mm)
35mm)
mm)
Habotaiisa
lustrous,
lightweight,
sheersilk
fabricwith
asoft
drape.

ChiffonisfromtheFrench
wordforclothorrag.
Chiffonisanelegant,
lightweight,sheersilk
fabricwithasoftdrape,
slightstretch,andcrepe
liketexture.

SilkGauzeFabricis
anextremely
lightweightand
sheersilkfabricwith
averysoftfloating
drape,andissimilar
toChiffon.

WoolFibers
Merinowoolroving(wooltop)isoneofthebestwoolfibers
fornunofelting.Thefinelongfibersofmerinowoolroving
(wooltop)canworktheirwaythroughlightweightopen
weavesilkfabricseasilycreatingnunofelt.Merinowool
roving(wooltop)isgenerallylessthan22microns,andthe
lowerthemicronthebetterfornunofelting.

ClassificationofWoolFibers

FourfactorsintheClassificationofWoolFibers
Staple

Thelengthoftheindividualwoolfibersisreferredto
asstaple.

Crimp

Thenumberofwavesalongthelengthofthewool
fiberisreferredtoascrimp.

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Thenumberofscalesalongthelengthofthewool
Luster fiberdeterminestheshineafibergivesandis
referredtoasluster.
Count

Count,orfineness,isthemostsignificant.(See
WoolGradeSystemstablebelow.)

WoolGradeSystems
WoolGradeSystemsintheUnitedStates
IntheUS,gradeclassifieswoolfinenessbasedonfiber
diameter
(notonqualityortype,seedefinitionsbelow).

Blood

Thebloodsystemgradeswoolfibersfrom
finesttocoarsest.Originallythiswasbasedon
theamountofMerinobloodinthesheepthat
producedthewool,with100%Merinoblood
beingthefinest.Todaybloodgradesindicatethe
fiberdiameter.Thissystemisoutdatedandnot
recognizedbytheUSDepartmentof
Agriculture.

Thenumericalcountsystemgradeswool
fiberswitha"count"basedonfiberdiameter.
Thecountreferstothehanksofyarn,each560
Numerical
yardslong,whichcanbespunfrom1poundof
Count
wooltop.Wooltopwithagradeof64'swould
produce35,840yards(560x64)ofyarnfrom
onepound.
Micron

Themicronsystemaccuratelygradeswool
fibersbasedontheactualaveragefiber
diameter.

BradfordSystem,atraditionalEnglishclassification
systemofwoolfibers
(TheUSnumericalcountsystemandbloodsystem
relatetothissystem.)
Englishwoolhandlersclassifiedwoolbasedon
theirexperience,estimatingthenumberof
hanksthatcouldbespunfromapoundofwool.
Bradford
ThissystemwasbasedonwoolfromtheMerino
System
sheepwhichcreatedthefinestwool.Different
sheepbreedsareknowntoproducedifferent
counts.

UnitedStatesStandardsfor
Gradesof:

WOOL

WOOLTOP

NumericalCountSystem

Micron
System

Micron
System

Finerthan80's

17.69

18.09

80's

17.70
19.14

18.10
19.59

70's

19.15
20.59

19.60
21.09

64's

20.60
22.04

21.10
22.59

62's

22.05
23.49

22.60
24.09

60's

23.50
24.94

24.10
25.59

58's

24.95
26.39

25.60
27.09

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NunoFeltingSuppliesandTechniquesMaterials

56's

26.40
27.84

27.10
28.59

54's

27.85
29.29

28.60
30.09

50's

29.30
30.99

30.10
31.79

48's

31.00
32.69

37.80
33.49

46's

32.70
34.39

33.50
35.19

44's

34.40
36.19

35.20
37.09

40's

36.20
38.09

37.10
38.99

36's

38.10
40.20

39.00
41.29

Coarserthan36's

40.21

41.30

(source:UnitedStatesStandardsforGradesofWool)

ProcessingMethodsofWoolFibers(Sliver,Tops,andRoving)

Sliver,tops,androvingareproducedasanintermediate
stepintheprocessingofwoolformanufacturing.Woolfibers
areprocessedintoproductsviaoneoftwomethods.The
worstedsystemofmanufacturing,utilizesthelongerlength
woolswithinagrade.Thewoolensystemofmanufacturing,
utilizestheshorterlengthwoolswithinagrade.
Thewoolisscouredtoremovethebulkoftheimpuritiesby
washing.Then,thewooliscarded.Thecleandrywoolpasses
throughrollersthathavethinwireteethwhichuntanglethe
fibersandarrangethemintoaflatsheetcalledaweb.The
webisthenformedintonarrowropes,orslivers.Ifthe
batchofwoolisforthewoolensystem,thesliversare
gentlytwistedintoropelikestrandscalledrovingandwound
intoballs.Ifthebatchofwoolisfortheworstedsystem,the
sliversarecombedtoremovetheshorterfibersornoilsand
createsmoothparallelfibersproducingwooltop.Thewool
topisalsogentlytwistedintoropelikestrandscalledroving
andwoundintoballs.

DefinitionsofWoolFibers

DefinitionsofWoolFibers
(source:UnitedStatesStandardsforGradesofWool)
Card
sliver

Woolthathasbeenscouredandcardedand
formedintoacontinuous,untwistedstrandof
looselyassembledfibers.

Fineness Thistermreferstofiberdiameter.
Fleece

Thewoolofonesheepobtainedbyshearing.
(1)Withrespecttowool,thistermmeansa
numericaldesignationofwoolfinenessbasedon
averagefiberdiameterandvariationoffiber
diameter.Itdoesnotincludecharacteristicssuch
aslength,crimp,strength,elasticity,luster,
hand,andcolorallofwhichaffectthe
spinnabilityofwoolandthepropertiesoftheyarn
andfabricandwhichareusuallyreferredtoas
"quality."Neitherdoesitapplytowoolby

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Grade

geographicorigin,breedofsheep,mannerof
preparationformarket,oracombinationof
characteristicswhichmakeswoolappropriatefor
aspecificuse.Thesecharacteristicsareusually
referredtoas"type."
(2)Withrespecttowooltop,thistermmeansa
numericaldesignationofwooltopfinenessbased
onaveragefiberdiameterdispersion.Itdoesnot
includecharacteristicssuchaslength,crimp,
strength,elasticity,luster,hand,andcolorallof
whichaffectthespinnabilityofwoolandthe
propertiesoftheyarnandfabric.The
characteristicsareusuallyreferredtoas
"quality."GreasewoolWool,asobtainedfrom
livingsheep.

Micron

Aunitoflinearmeasurementequalto1/1000
millimeteror1/25400inch.

Pulled
wool

Woolobtainedfromthepeltsofsheepbypulling
orsimilarmeansaftersubjectingthepeltto
sweating,theuseofadepilatory,orother
auxiliarytreatmenttoloosenthewoolfibersfrom
theskin.

Woolfromwhichthebulkoftheimpuritieshave
Scoured
beenremovedbywashinginwarmwater,soap,
wool
andalkaliorbyanequivalentprocess.
Skirted
fleece

Afleecefromwhichthebelly,britch,andstained
portionshavebeenremoved.

Sorted
wool

Woolremovedfromvariouspartsoffleecesand
combinedintodifferentgroupsorsorts,eachof
whichhascloselysimilarfineness,length,and
otherqualities.

Wool

Thefiberfromthefleeceofsheep.

Acontinuousuntwistedstrandofscouredwool
Wooltop fibersfromwhichtheshorterfibersornoilshave
beenremovedbycombing.
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