fibres and yarns, seed fibres

Cotton fibres come from the seed-pods of the Gossypium plant
The plant is grown in more than 70 countries
It requires a hot climate with lots of sunshine and a good amount of moisture
Cultivated annual cotton can grow to a height of 2 metres (6-7 feet)
Perennial cotton which is the wild sort can grow much taller
Most cotton produced comes from the cultivated plant
After a 2 or 3 day flowering period, the plant flower dies leaving a seed-pod or boll
Each seed-pod may contain as many as 30 seeds
The boll bursts open after about 7 weeks growth, revealing the cotton fibres inside

The cotton fibres grow as hairs out of the skin of the seed
Each living fibre is a hollow cylindrical tube filled with a liquid nutrient
When exposed to the sun the fibre dries out and the tube collapses and twists
At this stage the fibre looks like a dry flat, twisted ribbon

Harvesting can be done by the fast and efficient means of a mechanical harverster, or the bolls can be hand picked; a method which produces better quality fibres
The harvested cotton is sent to a gin for cleaning, this process removes seeds, twigs, leaves and other foreign matter
Then the cleaned cotton is compressed into standard-weight bales ready for sale
Waste products are utilised, by crushing the seeds to produce edible cooking oil, and the remaining residue is made into a cattle food suppliment

The finished cotton yarn is available in two forms: natural or mercerised.

mercerised cotton

Mercerised cotton is cotton that has been treated with a caustic alkaline under pressure
This causes the fibre to swell and regain it's original cylindrical tube form, thus making the fibre stronger and it's surface more reflective and lustrous
Mercerised cotton absorbs dye very readily, and when dyed has a much brighter colour than that of ordinary cotton

COTTON FIBRE IS QUALITY GRADED BY IT'S FINENESS, LENGTH AND STRENGTH

QUALITY FIBRE LENGTH SOURCE

BEST 2.5-6.5cms
(1-2½ins) West Indies
sea island cotton
and
Egypt

MEDIUM 1.25-2.75cms
(½-1¼ins) USA Uplands
and
Peru

LOWER 0.9-2.5cms
and
(½-1ins) India
and
China

Click on 'next page' to read about man-made fibres

seed-fibres

QUALITY	FIBRE LENGTH	SOURCE
BEST	2.5-6.5cms (1-2½ins)	West Indies sea island cotton and Egypt
MEDIUM	1.25-2.75cms (½-1¼ins)	USA Uplands and Peru
LOWER	0.9-2.5cms and (½-1ins)	India and China