How Is Yarn Made?

Preparing the Fibers

To start the process of making yarn, fibers are first pulled apart from their bundles and cleaned if needed. For different types of yarn, different fibers are blended together as they are pulled apart and cleaned. From there, it is fed to a carding machine that separates the fibers and pulls them out into parallel strands. If finer yarn is being made, the machine combs out shorter fibers to leave only long, fine fibers for processing.

Making Slivers

Once the machine has separated and combed the fibers, they are known as slivers. The slivers are put onto rollers that stretch them out to form a longer, stronger strand made of more slivers. They also twist them slightly to add to their strength. From the rollers, the slivers pass to a roving frame, which will continue to twist and stretch them out. These machines each add more strength to the slivers and wrap them tighter around each other to make it harder to separate the individual fibers from each other.

Ring Spinning

There are two main types of spinning that can be used to turn the slivers into yarn. The first is ring spinning. With ring spinning the slivers, now known as roving because they have been through the roving frame, are stretched out further by rollers. From there they pass through the eyelet of the machine to a part known as the traveler. The traveler and the bobbin both twist simultaneously to pull the roving and spin it into the final product, yarn.

Open-End Spinning

The second method of spinning skips the roving frame completely, and the slivers are fed into a spinner by a current of streaming air. A rotary beater separates the fibers and the air then takes them into V-shaped grooves along the sides of the rotor. More fibers collects and as the rotor turns, they are twisted together with the rest of the fibers to form yarn.