Single / Unplied
One strand spun on its own. Lightest handle, lowest strength.
Module 03
Yarn Construction
How a yarn is spun and built changes what it does in the machine and in wear. This is the part of the specification that most often explains a price difference.
Spinning route.
The spinning system decides how much of the fibre stays in the yarn, how even it is, and what the finished fabric feels like.
Ring-spun and open-end
Ring spinning is slower and gives a finer, more even, stronger yarn with a clean surface. Open-end spinning is fast and cheaper and produces a hairier, rougher yarn. This is the most common explanation for two cotton yarns of the same count costing different amounts.
Worsted and woollen
Worsted processing combs out short fibres, so the yarn is smooth, strong and regular. Woollen processing keeps more of the fibre and more air, so the yarn is fuller, softer and hairier. Fine merino wants worsted; a chunky wool knit wants woollen.
Yarn structures.
Each structure exists to solve a specific problem in the fabric.
Pplied
Two or more strands twisted together for strength and roundness.
Core-Spun
A filament core wrapped in staple fibres for strength with a soft surface.
Covered
A stretch or elastane core wrapped in a spun or filament sheath.
Bouclé
A looped yarn producing a textured, nubby surface.
Chenille
A soft, caterpillar-like yarn with a raised, fuzzy surface.
Slub
A yarn with deliberate variations in thickness along its length.
Fancy / Novelty
Yarns with added effect: metallic, sequin, feather, tape or tape-yarn constructions.
Fuzzy / Halo Blend
Blends that intentionally raise a soft halo on the fabric surface.
What each structure is for.
Ply and twist
A single yarn is one strand: light, soft, weak. Plying two or more strands together adds strength, roundness and abrasion resistance, at the cost of a second spinning operation and a harder hand. Twist is the other half of the story. Too little twist and the yarn sheds and pills. Too much and the hand goes hard and the drape is lost.
Core-spun and covered
Core-spun wraps a filament core in staple fibre, giving the strength of a filament with the look of a spun yarn. Covered elastic puts a stretch core inside a spun sheath, so a knit fabric can recover its shape without the buyer ever seeing the stretch. Both are the usual answer to a knitwear complaint about shape loss.
Fancy and specialty structures.
Texture does not require an expensive fibre. This is the single most useful thing to know when a buyer assumes a textured yarn must be a luxury material.
Bouclé gets its looped surface from a core yarn wrapped with an effect yarn, so its cost comes from the construction and the effect yarn. Chenille is cut from a high-warp-count woven fabric, which is why it is soft and plush. Slub yarns have deliberate thickness variation. A metallic or sequin yarn is an accent material, not a fabric in its own right.
Now put it on a machine.
A construction only works at a compatible gauge and count, and that has to be proven by a knit trial rather than assumed from a table.