Yarn Count
The count systems of yarn, side by side
Yarn fineness is expressed in count, and count is not one system but a family of them, classified into direct systems (weight per fixed length) and indirect systems (length per fixed weight). The English cotton count, Ne, counts 840-yard hanks per pound — a 30 Ne yarn has 30 such hanks in every pound. The woollen count or Yorkshire skein, NeS, counts 256-yard lengths per pound and is among the best-known woollen counts. This page works through the systems, their hank lengths and their worked examples, including how to calculate a count from a weighed lea of yarn.
Count is one chapter of a bigger story. The Apparel Search Yarn & Spinning Guide covers the whole journey from fiber to finished yarn: types of yarn, spinning methods, a count systems guide with conversion formulas and a full conversion table, twist, and the carded, combed, woolen and worsted preparation routes.
Textile fibers, threads, yarns and fabrics are measured in a multiplicity of units. The linear density of a fiber is commonly measured in units of denier or tex.
The fineness of the yarn is usually expressed in terms of its linear density or count. There are a number of systems and units for expressing yarn fineness. But they are classified as follows .
English Yarn Count: English cotton count (Ne) : In this system, yarn count is defined as the number of hanks of 840 yards per pound. For example, yarn count 30 Ne means that there are 30 hanks (each hank consisting of 840 yards of yarn) per 1 lb. or 1 pound of that yarn (length per mass).
A lea (120 yd) of cotton yarn weighs 25 gr, calculate its count in the cotton system.
NeS (Woollen Count or Yorkshire skein). The number of 256 yards (234 m) lengths per 1 pound (0.45 kg) of yarn. NeS is an indirect measure of linear density. One of the best known of the many different woollen yarn counts.
Count is a numerical value, which express the coarseness or fineness (diameter) of the yarn and also indicate the relationship between length and weight(the mass per unit length or the length per unit mass)of that yarn. Therefore, the concept of yarn count has been introduced which specifies a certain ratio of length to weight.
Two Primary Yarn Count Systems
- Direct Count System
- Indirect Count System
The Direct Count System: The weight of a fixed length of yarn is determined. The weight per unit length is the yarn count. The common features of all direct count systems are the length of yarn is fixed and the weight of yarn varies according to its fineness.
The following formula is used to calculate the yarn count:
N= (W×l) / L
- N = Yarn count or numbering system
- W = Weight of the sample
- L = Length of the sample
- l = Unit of length of the sample
1.Tex system would be the number of grams per 1000 meters
2.Denier would be the number of Grams per 9000 meters
3.Deci Tex would be the number of grams per 10,000 meters
4.Millitex would be the number of milligrams per 1000 meters
5.Kilotex would be the number of kilograms per 1000 meters.
6.Jute count would be the number of pounds per 14,400 yards
The Tex of a yarn indicates the weight in grams of 1000 meters of yarn. So that 40Tex means 1000 meters of yarn weigh 40gm.
The Indirect Count System: The length of a fixed weight of yarn is measured. The length per unit weight is the yarn count. The common features of all indirect count systems are the weight of yarn is fixed and the Length of yarn varies according to its fineness. In an indirect yarn counting system, the yarn number or count is the number of “units of length” per “unit of weight” of yarn. This means the higher the yarn count number, the finer or thinner the yarn. It is based on the fixed weight system. This system is generally used for cotton, woolen, worsted and linen yarn.
The following formula is used to calculate they are count:
N = (L×w) / W×l
N =Yarn count or number in the indirect system
W =Weight of the sample at the official regain in the unit of the system (upper case "W")
w = Unit of weight of the sample. (lower case "w")
L=Length of the sample
l=Unit of length of the sample
1. Ne: No of 840 yards yarn weighing in One pound
2. Nm: No of one kilometer yarn weighing in One Kilogram
The Ne indicates how many hanks of 840 yards length weigh one English pound. So that 32 Ne Means 32 hanks of 840 yards (for example, 32 x 840 yards length weigh one English pound). For the determination of the count of yarn, it is necessary to determine the weight of a known length of the yarn. For taking out the known lengths of yarns, a wrap-reel is used. The length of yarn reeled off depends upon the count system being used.
Yes, their is more to learn about yarn counts. We suggest you search a few more websites to continue your education.
The Worked Example Every Student Meets
Count systems become real the first time they are calculated rather than looked up. Weigh a standard skein — a lea of cotton yarn is 120 yards — and the count follows from how many such lengths the pound would contain: a lea weighing 25 grains, against the 7000 grains in a pound, points to a yarn near the fine end of everyday counts, and the page works the arithmetic in full. The method matters because it is reversible in the laboratory: an unknown yarn delivered to a mill can be identified by reeling a lea, weighing it, and computing its count, which is still how count disputes between buyers and spinners are settled.
Choosing the Right Count Language
Each fiber trade kept the hank length that suited its material and machinery — 840 yards for cotton, 560 for worsted, 256 for the Yorkshire woollen skein — so the same spoken number means different fineness in different systems, and a count quoted without its system is an accident waiting to happen. Specifications therefore name the system with the number, and conversions between systems run through the shared ideas of length per pound rather than through the numbers directly. The dedicated pages in this section — cotton count, worsted count, tex and yield — take each system in turn, and this overview is the place to stand when deciding which of them a document is using.
Common Questions
What is yarn count?
Count is a numerical value expressing the coarseness or fineness (diameter) of a yarn, and the relationship between its length and weight; yarn count systems are classified as direct or indirect.
What does 30 Ne mean?
In the English cotton count system, 30 Ne means there are 30 hanks of 840 yards each in one pound of that yarn.
What is the woollen count (Yorkshire skein)?
NeS, the woollen count or Yorkshire skein, is the number of 256-yard (234 m) lengths per pound of yarn — an indirect measure of linear density and one of the best-known woollen counts.