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Spinning & Yarn
Spinning is the process of twisting fibres together to form continuous yarn. Yarn is made from either staple (short) fibres or filaments (continuous strands). Spinning systems such as ring, open-end (rotor), and combed routes differ in how they draft and twist fibres, shaping the resulting yarn's strength, evenness, hand, and intended end use.
Last updated June 2026
What is spinning, and what does it actually do to the fibre?
Spinning is the manufacturing process that turns a mass of loose fibre into a continuous, coherent yarn. At its core it combines two actions: drafting, which attenuates (thins and parallelises) the fibre assembly to the desired fineness, and twist insertion, which wraps the fibres around one another so friction holds them together under tension. For staple fibres, the fibre must first pass through opening, cleaning, carding, and drawing to form a uniform sliver or roving before twist is applied. Continuous filaments need far less preparation because they are already long and ordered; spinning of filament yarn focuses on assembling and twisting strands rather than building a yarn from short pieces.
What is the difference between staple and filament yarn?
Staple fibres are fibres of finite, relatively short length, measured in centimetres or inches. Cotton, wool, flax, and most synthetic fibres cut into short lengths are staple fibres, and they must be spun by twisting many overlapping short fibres into a continuous strand. Staple yarns typically have a fuller, hairier, more textile-like hand and surface. Filament fibres are effectively continuous in length. Silk is the classic natural filament, while man-made fibres are extruded as continuous filaments that can be used directly. A single filament forms a monofilament yarn; several grouped together form a multifilament yarn. Filament yarns tend to be smoother, more lustrous, and more uniform, and they can be left flat or textured to add bulk and stretch.
How do ring-spun, open-end, and combed yarns differ?
Ring spinning is a long-established staple-yarn method in which a rotating ring and traveller insert twist while the yarn is wound onto a bobbin. It produces strong, fine, relatively smooth yarns across a wide count range and is favoured where strength and quality are priorities. Open-end spinning, most commonly rotor spinning, separates the fibre stream into individual fibres and reassembles them in a rotor, inserting twist without a continuously rotating package. It is a faster, more economical route well suited to coarser and medium counts, typically yielding a bulkier, more even but slightly weaker yarn than ring-spun. Combed is not a separate twisting method but a preparation route: an extra combing step removes shorter fibres and remaining impurities and aligns the remaining long fibres, so combed yarn (usually then ring-spun) is finer, smoother, stronger, and more uniform than carded yarn.
How is yarn count measured?
Yarn count, also called yarn number, expresses the linear density or fineness of a yarn. There are two opposing conventions. Indirect systems state a length per unit mass, so a higher number means a finer yarn; the cotton count (Ne, English count) and the worsted and metric (Nm) counts work this way. Direct systems state a mass per unit length, so a higher number means a coarser yarn; tex (grams per 1000 metres) and denier (grams per 9000 metres) are the common direct systems, with denier traditionally used for filament yarns. Because the conventions run in opposite directions, it is essential to know which system a count refers to before comparing two yarns.
How does twist affect yarn behaviour?
Twist is what holds staple fibres together and gives the yarn its integrity. Twist is described by the number of turns per unit length and by direction, denoted S-twist or Z-twist according to the way the spirals lean. The amount of twist relative to the yarn's fineness is often summarised by a twist factor or twist multiplier. As twist increases, yarn strength generally rises to an optimum and then declines if over-twisted, while the yarn typically becomes firmer, more compact, and less hairy. Lower-twist yarns tend to be softer, bulkier, and loftier. The chosen twist level is therefore a deliberate balance among strength, hand, and the demands of subsequent weaving, knitting, or finishing.
Ring-spun vs open-end (rotor) vs combed yarn (qualitative characteristics)
| Characteristic | Ring-spun | Open-end (rotor) | Combed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature of process | Twisting method using ring and traveller | Twisting method that opens fibres and reassembles them in a rotor | Preparation route (combing step), usually followed by ring spinning |
| Fibre preparation | Standard carded or combed sliver/roving | Carded sliver, opened into individual fibres | Extra combing removes short fibres and aligns long fibres |
| Typical count range | Fine to coarse, wide range | Better suited to medium and coarse counts | Commonly fine counts |
| Yarn strength | Generally high | Generally lower than ring-spun | Higher and more consistent than carded equivalents |
| Evenness and uniformity | Even | Often very even/regular | High uniformity, fewer short fibres |
| Hand and surface | Smooth, can be soft, some hairiness | Bulkier, fuller, more uniform surface | Smoother, cleaner, softer feel |
| Productivity/economy | Slower, more processing steps | Faster, fewer steps, generally more economical | Adds a step, so more processing than carded |
| Typical end uses | Higher-quality apparel and fabrics requiring strength/fineness | Denim, towelling, and coarser/medium fabrics | Fine, high-quality shirtings, fine knits, premium apparel |
Key terms
SpinningDraftingTwist (turns per unit length)Twist multiplier / twist factorS-twist and Z-twistStaple fibreFilamentMonofilamentMultifilamentSliverRovingCardingCombingRing spinningOpen-end (rotor) spinningYarn count / yarn numberCotton count (Ne)Metric count (Nm)TexDenier