Overview:
This 1910 textbook delves into the world of textiles, offering a comprehensive look at the production of various fabrics, from their raw materials to their final finished forms. Starting with a detailed examination of animal fibers like wool and silk, the book explores the unique properties and characteristics of each fiber, highlighting the importance of sorting and classifying raw materials for optimal yarn production.
The reader is then introduced to the intricate processes involved in spinning both worsted and woolen yarns, emphasizing the distinctions between these two yarn types. The book further explores various weaving techniques, including plain, twill, satin, pile, gauze, and lappet weaves, as well as the use of Jacquard looms for creating intricate patterns.
Key Findings:
- The importance of sorting wool based on its quality and origin for optimal yarn production.
- The distinction between worsted and woolen yarns, with their unique properties and applications.
- The various weaving techniques used to create diverse fabrics and patterns.
- The detailed process of dyeing and finishing textiles, including bleaching, fulling, crabbing, tentering, napping, and pressing.
- The prevalence of adulteration in the textile industry, particularly through the use of wool substitutes and the addition of cotton to wool fabrics.
Learning:
- Fiber Properties: The reader will gain a fundamental understanding of the properties of various fibers, including their strength, elasticity, and felting properties. This knowledge is essential for understanding the suitability of different fibers for specific textile applications.
- Yarn Production: The reader will learn about the complex processes involved in yarn production, from carding and combing to drawing and spinning. They will also gain an appreciation for the distinctions between worsted and woolen yarns.
- Weaving Techniques: The book introduces the reader to a wide array of weaving techniques and their unique characteristics, enabling them to recognize and differentiate various fabrics.
- Dyeing and Finishing: The reader will gain insights into the dyeing and finishing processes used for textiles, understanding the principles behind coloring and the methods employed to achieve different finishes. This knowledge is particularly useful for understanding the factors influencing fabric quality and appearance.
- Textile Adulteration: The reader will learn about the prevalence of textile adulteration and the techniques used to deceive consumers. This information will empower the reader to make informed choices when purchasing textiles.
Historical Context:
This textbook was written in the early 20th century, a period marked by rapid industrialization and the rise of the factory system in textile production. The text reflects the importance of cotton as a key raw material, the growing use of wool substitutes, and the evolution of dyeing and finishing techniques. The book also discusses the challenges posed by adulteration and the importance of understanding textile properties and production methods to make informed purchases.
Facts:
- Wool is the soft, curly covering of sheep, goats, and alpacas.
- The serrations or scales on wool fibers allow them to interlock, creating the felting property.
- Mohair is the lustrous wool of the Angora goat.
- Cotton is the most important vegetable fiber used in spinning.
- The twist in cotton fibers is a characteristic that distinguishes it from other fibers.
- Flax is the oldest and next to cotton the most important vegetable spinning material.
- Hemp is a fiber obtained from the hemp plant, primarily used for making ropes and strings.
- Silk is obtained from the cocoons of silkworms.
- The silk from the cultivated mulberry silkworm is the most valuable.
- Wild silk, known as tussah or tussur, is produced by wild silkworms.
- Raw silk is reeled from cocoons after being softened in hot water.
- The first cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney in 1792.
- The staple of Sea Island cotton is the longest and finest.
- The largest producer of flax is Russia.
- The most valuable linen is made in Ireland.
- Jute is used extensively for mixing with silk, cotton, flax, hemp, and woolen fabrics.
- The textile industry has evolved through several stages: the family system, the guild system, the domestic system, and the factory system.
- Richard Arkwright is known as the “father of the factory system.”
- The first cotton mill in the world was built in Nottingham in 1769.
- The invention of the steam engine revolutionized the textile industry.
- Lace was first made in Flanders and Venice.
- The most delicate textile machine is the lace machine.
- Artificial silk, a cellulose-based substitute for natural silk, is produced by treating wood pulp or cotton fibers with various chemicals.
Statistics:
- The United States had over 40,000,000 sheep in 1909, with four-fifths of them west of the Missouri River.
- The total wool product of the United States in 1909 was valued at $78,263,165.
- The average weight of a fleece from a sheep on the best ranges in Oregon, Montana, and Wyoming is 8 pounds.
- The average weight of a fleece from a sheep on the alkaline ranges of New Mexico is about 5 pounds.
- The total wool product of the country in 1909 was valued at $78,263,165.
- The average consumption of wool in the United States increased from 3 pounds per capita in the pre-factory era to 6 pounds per capita in the early 20th century.
- A standard cotton bale in the United States weighs nearly 500 pounds.
- Over 1,600 pounds of seed cotton are required to produce a standard 500-pound bale.
- The cotton crop each year in the early 20th century amounted to between 12,000,000 and 13,000,000 bales.
- The average yield of cotton in the South varies from 500 to 600 pounds per acre.
- Each hand picker can pick from 140 to 180 pounds of cotton per day.
- A Whitney gin can clean from 200 to 300 pounds of cotton per hour.
- One pound of chiffon silk can extend a distance of eight miles.
- Silk can be weighted up to nine times its own weight.
Terms:
- Textiles: All materials used in the manufacture of clothing.
- Fiber: A natural or artificial thread-like structure, the basic unit of yarn.
- Yarn: A continuous strand of fibers twisted together.
- Warp: The lengthwise threads in a woven fabric.
- Filling (weft): The threads that run across the width of a woven fabric.
- Weave: The pattern of interlacing warp and filling threads.
- Shed: The opening created in the warp threads by raising and lowering the heddles on a loom.
- Shuttle: A device that carries the filling yarn across the warp.
- Reed: A comb-like device on a loom that separates and holds the warp threads.
- Noils: The short fibers removed from wool during combing.
- Shoddy: Remanufactured wool obtained from old woolen fabrics.
- Mungo: Remanufactured wool obtained from hard or milled woolen fabrics.
- Top: The long fibers of wool after combing.
- Fleece: The wool covering of a sheep.
- Yolk: The greasy and sweaty secretions of a sheep that coat the fleece.
- Sliver: A continuous strand of fibers after carding or combing.
- Roving: A slightly twisted sliver, ready for spinning.
- Counts: A system of measuring yarn size based on the number of yards per pound.
- Mordant: A substance that helps to bind dyes to fibers.
- Sizing: The process of stiffening warp yarns with starch or other substances to make them stronger.
- Tentering: The process of straightening and leveling fabric.
- Napping: The process of raising a fuzzy surface on fabric for warmth or appearance.
- Fulling: A process of shrinking and thickening woolen fabrics by compressing the fibers with moisture and heat.
- Crabbing: A process of setting a fabric to a specific width by steaming it.
- Bleaching: A process of removing the natural color of fibers or fabrics.
- Retting: A process of soaking flax or hemp stalks in water to soften the woody matter and release the fibers.
- Throwing: The process of twisting and combining raw silk threads into different types of yarn.
- Tram: A loosely twisted silk yarn used for filling.
- Organzine: A strongly twisted silk yarn used for warp.
- Floss: The loose, tangled fibers found on the outside of a silk cocoon.
- Spun silk: Silk yarn made by spinning waste silk fibers.
Examples:
- Wool Sorting: A fleece from a Merino sheep can be sorted into several different grades based on its quality, with the wool from the head and shoulders being the finest and the wool from the belly being the coarsest.
- Worsted vs. Woolen Yarn: A worsted suit fabric will be smooth and lustrous, while a woolen tweed will have a more textured and fuzzy surface.
- Weaving Techniques: Plain weave is used to create basic fabrics like cotton muslin, while twill weave is used to create fabrics like denim and serge. Pile weave is used to create velvet and plush fabrics.
- Dyeing: Yarn dyeing is used to create patterns in fabrics like ginghams, where different colored yarns are woven together. Piece dyeing is used to create fabrics with a single, uniform color.
- Finishing: Fulling is used to shrink and thicken woolen fabrics like broadcloth and felt. Crabbing is used to set the width of a fabric, while tentering is used to straighten and level it. Napping is used to create a soft, fuzzy surface on fabrics like flannel.
- Textile Adulteration: A cheap overcoat fabric might be made with a mixture of shoddy and cotton to reduce the cost.
- Silk Production: A silk throwster will take raw silk and twist it into tram or organzine yarn, which is then used to weave silk fabrics.
- Lace: Alençon lace is a delicate, hand-made needlepoint lace with a semi-net ground. Brussels lace is a fine, pillow lace with the patterns joined by loops on their edges.
Conclusion:
This 1910 textbook provides valuable insights into the history, processes, and properties of textiles. It highlights the importance of understanding the source, characteristics, and manufacturing processes for various fibers and fabrics. The reader gains an appreciation for the diverse range of textile types and their specific applications, as well as the key factors determining their quality and durability. Furthermore, the book emphasizes the importance of being aware of textile adulteration and the techniques used to identify different fibers and fabrics to make informed choices when purchasing textiles.