Many people ask me what 3x2/15, or 2/28 or 4600 means. This is the yarn count, i.e., the thickness. In this article, I want to try to explain exactly what it means and why.
Let's start by introducing the main characteristics of yarns.
The fundamental characteristics of yarns are twist, thickness uniformity, strength and elongation, and count or thickness.
Yarn twist is determined in twist testers.
The twist can be right (Z) or left (S).
Yarns are called single-ply when they consist of a single strand or plied when they consist of a twist of multiple strands (or plies).
Thickness uniformity can be seen by winding a yarn onto a piece of cardboard of a different color than the yarn. The eye can then appreciate any differences in thickness.
Strength is determined with dynamometers, devices that allow the yarn's breaking strength and elasticity to be established.
Let's look in detail at the thickness or, in jargon, the "titration" of yarns.
The "count" of yarns is the conventional name referring to the fineness, i.e., the thickness of the yarn.
The structure of the yarn is generally cylindrical, so we might think of using diameter as a reference to measure its thickness. However, a yarn presents an inconvenience that makes it impossible to use a measuring instrument (such as a caliper); this has led to the need to think of another type of reference. The only two measurements that can be made on a yarn are those related to its length (L) and its weight (P); the ratio between these two quantities is called the Count (T).
There are two yarn count systems:
1. Counting by length: This represents the ratio between length and weight. In this system, the higher the count, the finer the yarn; for example, a Nm. 4000 count will be finer than a Nm. 2000 count, and a 2/60000 count will be finer than a 2/28000 count. The metric count (Nm) belongs to this counting system, which is the number of skeins of 1000 meters that constitute 1 kg. It is used particularly for wool.
For cotton, the English count is used, which considers a length of 840 yards (equal to 768 meters) and a pound (equal to 453.6 grams). For linen, hemp, and jute, the English method is based on 300 yards (247 meters) and one pound.
LT = ------P
This is the most widely used method currently, the method you will find on the counts of our yarns, and it is the most common and known method in Italy, which I recommend you pay more attention to and learn.
To simplify the calculation, in measuring Nm counts, we know that a Nm 2000 count corresponds to a
yarn whose length is 2000 meters in 1 kg of yarn. While for plied yarn counts, the denominator is divided by the numerator; for example, in a 2/28000 count yarn, to obtain the meters of yarn contained in 1 kg, you divide: 28000 : 2 = 14000 meters in one kg of yarn, from which it is easy to obtain the meters in a ball or a skein of, for example, 100 grams.
The yarn count can also give us indications for determining the machine gauge or the number of needles to use for knitting.
For example, we know that a
2/28000 count yarn can be used on a 12 gauge machine with one strand, or on a 7-8 gauge machine with two strands, or with size 2.5/3 needles with two or three strands, and an Nm 2800 yarn can be worked with 3.5-4 knitting needles or a 3-3.5 crochet hook. But this is relative, as the type of yarn (fiber) used, the model to be made, and for machine yarns the type of machine, and for hand knitting yarns the knitter's tension, must always be considered. 2. Counting by weight: This represents the ratio between weight and length. In this case, the higher the count, the thicker the yarn. With this counting method, we have the legal count, expressed in denier (0.05 grams) and a length of 450 meters. It is used for silk and all artificial and synthetic fibers.
PT = ------L
The count always refers to single yarns; in plied yarns, the count is expressed as a fraction (e.g., 30/2, 50/2, 60/3, etc.).
Similarly, there are different numbering systems that differ based on the units of measure being related. The most commonly used numbers are Nm (Numeric metric), which relates 1 meter of yarn to 1 gram, which we have already discussed; Nec (English cotton number); Nel (English linen number); Np (Prato number).
Tex should represent the universal count for indicating yarn thickness, but in reality, this is not always the case (though it is useful for production calculations).
Td is particularly used for silk yarns, technological fibers, or single fibers in general.
Np is used for counting carded wool yarns (only used in Prato).
The count of fancy yarns (flame yarns) with different counts is expressed by indicating the count of the thicker yarn in the numerator and the count of the thinner yarn in the denominator.
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