Yarn Expo Spring

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

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A range of accommodation options near the venue and across key areas.

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Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Staple fibre

Short natural or cut man-made fibres measured in millimetres (cotton, wool, linen, viscose staple) that are spun into yarn, as opposed to continuous filament.

2

Filament yarn

Yarn made from continuous man-made filaments such as polyester, nylon or viscose, usually specified in denier or dtex rather than in staple count systems.

3

Yarn count (Ne, Nm, Tex, denier)

The numbering system that defines yarn fineness. Ne counts 840-yard hanks per pound, Nm counts metric hanks per kilogram, Tex is grams per 1,000 m and denier is grams per 9,000 m. A finer yarn means a higher Ne/Nm and a lower Tex/denier, so always check which system a mill is quoting.

4

Ring spinning

The dominant staple spinning method: a drafted roving is twisted between a traveller and a rotating ring. Ring yarns give good strength and a soft hand, which is why apparel and knitting mills specify them for premium qualities.

5

Compact spinning

Ring spinning with pneumatic condensation of the fibre strand before twisting, which cuts hairiness and improves tenacity and yarn evenness - relevant for fine combed shirting and high-speed knitting.

6

Open-end (rotor) spinning

A rotor-based spinning route that is faster and cheaper than ring spinning and produces a bulkier, more abrasion-resistant yarn used in denim, home textiles and coarse knits.

7

Air-jet / vortex spinning

Very high-speed spinning where air jets wrap fibres around a core, producing a low-hairiness yarn widely used in knitwear and towelling.

8

Combed versus carded

Combed yarns have short fibres and neps removed before spinning, giving a smoother, stronger and more expensive yarn; carded yarns follow the shorter standard process and suit everyday knits and wovens.

9

Melange yarn

Yarn spun from a blend of pre-dyed fibres so the fabric reads as heathered or multi-tone without piece dyeing - a staple offer in knitwear and jersey ranges.

10

Slub yarn

Yarn engineered with deliberate thick-and-thin places to create surface texture, common in denim, linen-look fabrics and casual knits.

11

Core-spun yarn

A filament core (usually elastane or polyester) wrapped in staple fibres so the fabric gains stretch or strength while keeping a natural surface - the basis of stretch denim and shirting.

12

Fancy yarn

Decorative yarns such as boucle, chenille, loop, knot, tape and metallic-effect constructions, usually bought in small lots for fashion and accessory ranges.

13

Blended yarn

Two or more fibre types spun together (for example polyester/cotton, wool/nylon, linen/viscose) to balance cost, strength, shrinkage and hand feel.

14

Siro-spun yarn

Two rovings twisted together during ring spinning, producing a plied-look yarn in one operation that is common in worsted suiting and fine knits.

15

GOTS

Global Organic Textile Standard: certifies organic fibre content plus processing chemicals, wastewater and social criteria across the supply chain. Buyers normally ask for a transaction certificate, not just a logo.

16

GRS

Global Recycled Standard: verifies recycled content, chain of custody and environmental and social criteria, widely used for recycled polyester and recycled cotton yarns.

17

RWS

Responsible Wool Standard from Textile Exchange, covering animal welfare and land management on wool-growing farms and tracked through the supply chain.

18

Better Cotton

A mass-balance cotton sustainability programme rather than a physical segregation claim, so brand messaging has to be worded carefully even when a spinner is a licensed supplier.

19

OEKO-TEX Standard 100

Testing and certification scheme for harmful substances in yarns and finished articles, frequently requested by European and Japanese buyers as a baseline compliance document.

20

Lyocell and regenerated cellulosics

Man-made cellulosic fibres from wood pulp, with lyocell produced in a closed-loop solvent process. Viscose, modal and lyocell sit in the same family and are a growing part of man-made fibre offers.

21

Package dyeing, hank dyeing and lab dips

Package dyeing colours yarn on perforated cones under pressure for even results at volume; hank (skein) dyeing suits fancy and space-dyed effects. A lab dip is the small shade sample a buyer approves before bulk dyeing.

22

Shade card

A mill's reference set of producible shades. Buyers use it to shortlist colours, then request lab dips for the exact standard before placing bulk orders.

23

CSP (count strength product)

Lea strength multiplied by English count, a traditional buying specification for cotton yarn that lets mills and buyers compare strength at a given fineness.

24

Uster Statistics

Industry benchmark percentile data for yarn evenness, imperfections, hairiness and tenacity, used in contracts to define acceptable quality levels by count and process.

25

MOQ and sampling quantity

Minimum order quantity is the smallest run a spinner will take for a given count and colour; sample hanks, cones or shade cards are usually available at far lower volume for development work.