Fibers and Natural Fibres Overview

Textile fibres are materials, either natural or synthetic, with a length significantly greater than their width. They are used to create yarn, which in turn is used to make fabrics.

Staple fibres are short fibres, typically found in natural fibres like cotton and wool.

Filament fibres are continuous or near-continuous long fibres. They're typically found in man-made fibres like rayon and silk.

Plant fibres are derived from various parts of plants, including the stem, leaf, seed, fruit, or even grass.

Animal fibres are obtained from animals, either from their hair or secretions.

Bast fibres are specifically obtained from the stem of a plant. Flax is a prime example of a bast fibre.

Leaf fibres are precisely collected from the leaf of a plant.

Seed fibres are derived from the seeds of a plant. Think of cotton, which comes from the cotton plant's seed.

Fruit fibres are sourced from the fruit of a plant. A notable example is coir, which comes from the coconut husk.

Grass fibres are specifically gathered from different grasses. Bamboo is a well-known example of a grass fibre.

Hair fibres, also known as keratin fibres, are found in animals and are mainly composed of a protein called keratin. Examples include wool, mohair, cashmere, camel hair, and alpaca.

Secretion fibres are produced by certain animals as secretions. Silk is the prime example, made from the cocoons of silkworms.

Synthetic fibres are entirely man-made and are created by combining synthetic monomers into polymers. Examples include nylon, polyester, and acrylic.

Regenerated fibres are also known as semi-synthetic fibres. They're made from natural polymers, processed and transformed into fibres. Examples include rayon, lyocell, and modal.

Inorganic fibres are made from non-organic materials. Examples include carbon fibres, glass fibres, and ceramic fibres.

Yarn is a continuous strand of intertwined fibres. It is created by spinning or twisting fibres together.

Weaving is the process of interlacing two sets of yarns, called warp and weft, at right angles to each other. This creates a woven fabric.

Knitting is the technique of interconnecting loops of yarn to create a fabric. Knitted fabrics are flexible and often stretchy.

Warp yarns, also known as the 'foundation' or 'base' of a fabric, run vertically and are held taut on the loom.

Weft yarns, also called 'filling' yarns, are placed horizontally, moving across the warp yarns from left to right and back.

Plain weave is the simplest and most common weave. The weft yarn alternates over and under the warp yarns creating a simple criss-cross pattern.

Satin weave is a smooth and lustrous fabric. The weft yarn goes over multiple warp yarns before going under one and repeating this pattern, creating a glossy effect.

Twill weave creates a diagonal pattern on the fabric. The weft yarn passes over one or more warp yarns then under two or more warp yarns.

Weft knitting is a common knitting technique where the loops of yarn are interlocked vertically. The fabric is often produced from a single continuous yarn.

Warp knitting is a specialized knitting technique where the loops are interlocked horizontally. It involves separate yarns and requires specialized machinery.

Hue refers to the pure, basic colour, without any variation in lightness or saturation. It's the name of the colour, like red or blue.

Saturation describes the intensity or purity of a colour. A highly saturated colour is vivid and bright, while a low-saturation colour is dull or muted.

Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a hue. Light colours have high value, while dark colours have low value.

Tints and shades are variations of a hue with different values. A tint is lighter, created by mixing a hue with white. A shade is darker, created by mixing a hue with black.

Tones are variations of a hue with different saturation. They are created by mixing a hue with grey. Tones create a softer, more muted effect.

Colour harmony refers to combinations of colours that are pleasing to the eye. There are various colour harmony principles, such as analogous colours and complementary colours.

Colour context refers to how colour behaves in relation to other colours and shapes. The same colour can appear different depending on its surroundings.