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Worsted is the name of a yarn, the cloth made from this yarn, as well as a yarn weight category. The name derives from the village of Worstead in the English county of Norfolk. This village became, along with North Walsham and Aylsham, a centre for the manufacture of yarn and cloth after weavers from Flanders arrived in Norfolk in the 12th century.^&

Technique & Preparation

The essential feature of a worsted yarn is straightness of fibre, in that the fibres lie parallel to each other. Traditionally, long, fine staple wool was spun to create worsted yarn, but other long fibres are also used today.

Many spinners differentiate between worsted preparation and worsted spinning. Worsted preparation refers to the way the fibre is prepared before spinning, using combs to force the fibre staples to lie parallel to each other. This produces overlapping untwisted strands called "slivers". Worsted spinning refers to using a worsted technique, which produces a smooth yarn with no air. Combinations of worsted preparation and worsted spinning with other techniques produce different types of yarn, notably semi-worsted yarn.

A roving is often used to spin woolen yarn, and wool top is often used to spin worsted yarn. Many hand spinners buy their fibre in roving or top form. Top and roving are rope like in appearance, in that they can be thick and long. While some mills put a slight twist in the rovings they make, it is not enough twist to be a yarn. The fibers in top all lie parallel to one another along the length, which makes top ideal for spinning worsted yarns. The fibers in roving all lie crossed to one another along the length, which makes roving ideal for spinning woolen yarns.

Worsted-spun yarns, used to created worsted fabric, are spun from wool fibers that have been combed, instead of being carded, to ensure that the woolen fibers all run the same direction, butt-end (end that was cut in shearing the sheep) to tip, and remain parallel. A short-draw is used in spinning worsted fibers (as opposed to a long-draw).

The cloth

Worsted cloth, archaically also known as "stuff", is lightweight and has a coarse texture. The weave is usually twill or plain. Twilled fabrics such as whipcord, gabardine and serge are often made from worsted yarn. Worsted fabric made from wool has a natural recovery, meaning that it is resilient and quickly returns to its natural shape, but non-glossy worsted will shine with use or abrasion.

Worsteds differs from woolens, in that the natural crimp of the wool fibre is removed in the process of spinning the yarn. In Tropical Worsteds, this use of tightly-spun straightened wool, combined with a looser weave, permits the free flow of air through the fabric.

Worsted is also used for carpets, garments, hosiery, gloves, and baize.

Weight

The term "worsted" is often applied to any yarn spun from fibres three inches in length or longer that have been carded or combed, and spun, not just wool. Acrylic and other yarns can be called "worsted," and this is a reference to the weight of the yarn as much as the production process.

A worsted yarn has a thickness of 12 wraps per inch. Depending on a knitter's personal technique, a worsted yarn generally has a gauge of about 16-20 stitches per 10 centimeters using 5.5mm (US size 9) needles.

History

Prior to the introduction of automatic machinery there was little difficulty in attaining a straight fibre, as long wool was always used, and the sliver was made up by hand, using combs. However, with the introduction of Richard Arkwright's water frame in 1771, and the later introduction of cap and mule spinning machines, the need for perfectly prepared slivers became apparent, and many manufactories used one or more preparatory "gill-boxes" (combing machines) before the worsting process, to ensure straightness of fibre and even distribution of the lubricant.