Flyer-Spun  I  Cap-Spun  I  Ring-Spun  I  Cross-Bred  I  Botany Worsted  I  Melange  I  Yarn-Dyed

A typical worsted yarn is made from long lustrous wool from which the short fibres are removed by combing, and all the processes tend to straighten the fibres. Such a yarn, therefore, is composed of fibres that do not vary extremely in length and are laid as straight and parallel as possible.

Cap spinning is much more productive than flyer spinning, and is very suitable for botany and fine cross-bred wools. The system tends to produce a thread with a large amount of fibre projecting from the surface, and is, therefore, not suitable for either lustrous or strong cross-bred wools.
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Ring-spun worsted yarn

Ring spinning is employed only to a limited extent for worsted yarn, but is a very suitable system for the finest botany threads. The fibres are under better control than in cap spinning, so that the yarn is not so wild and hairy.
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Cross-bred yarns

Cross-bred yarns range from fine to low cross-bred, the former being spun from Australian and New Zealand wools. (46s to 58s quality) and used for coatings, dress fabrics, and fine hosiers. Medium cross-bred yarns are spun from wool of about 40s to 46s quality, and are used for serge and other cloths which require a firm, crisp feel. Low cross-bred yarns are spun from wools below 40s quality, and are fairly lustrous. The finer cross-bred wools are cap spun, but the lower qualities may be flyer spun, in order that the fibres will be sufficiently controlled.
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Botany worsted yarn

Made of fine merino wool (60s quality or finer is termed Botany), and is a fuller, softer, and denser thread than typical worsted yarn. For fine counts the processes are carding, Holden-combing, open drawing, and cap spinning. Botany worsted is used for the best qualities of costumes, dress fabrics, suitings, lining, shirtings , etc.
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Melange Yarn (French term - Vigoreaux)

A coloured mixture worsted yarn, usually made of long, lustrous wool, the colours in which are printed on the top or combed sliver in the form of bars of colour. The subsequent processes of drawing and spinning cause the different colours to be thoroughly intermingled, but as each fibre may be variously coloured throughout its length, a 'melange' mixture differs in appearance from an ordinary fibre mixture in which each fibre is all one colour.
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Yarn dyed

Yarn which has been dyed after the processes of spinning, doubling, etc., have been completed. The threads are reeled into hank form, or made into ball warps in readiness for dyeing, or wound into packages and dyed in that form.
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Holland & Sherry Textile Guide