Timothy PuccettiTextilesWeaving Project TalkJune 03, 2015[Type text]2Fiber content:100% Acrylic white 2 ply yarn had the characteristic of good sheen, ease of weaving ability and good color fastness. Acrylic is a manufactured petrochemical fiber developed for the US market by Dupont in 1950 following the success of nylon. It is flame resistant, has good moisture wicking, resistant to moths, resistant to sun exposure, and has good color fastness. But, it has less tensile strength than nylon or polyester.The wool yarn was the most difficult to weave despite being a single ply yarn because it tends to stick to things and seems to expand when handled. This property is called loft. Wool fibers are from sheep. They have a natural crimp and a scale texture. The crimp is the sharp bends which allows it to have a bulk which traps air and moisture. Fine wools have a higher count of crimps per inch up to about one hundred while coarse wool may have only a few crimps per inch. Finer wool also has thinner individual fibers. The scale is at a micro level and allows the wool staple fibers to hold together when spun into yarns. Wool has better fire resistance than many other natural yarns. Virgin wool is wool that has been spun for the first time. Wool can also be recycled through tearing apart existing products and spinning it again called shoddy wool. This is likely to create an inferior product with shorter staple fibers that must be mixed with some stronger wool.Wool is used for its insulating and sound deadening characteristics. It is often seen in suit jackets, expensive rugs and other fine clothes blended with cotton or man-made materials for durability and comfort. The natural waxes on wools can create a barrier to spills. Wool can be felted, woven or knit. It often needs to be dry cleaned or it may shrink from the heat. Wool also can be deformed permanently if stretched when wet.The blended yarn was 80% acrylic and 20% wool. It was easy to weave due also to the lighter weight gauge of the yarn. Blended yarns and fabrics are popular today because you can get the natural desirable qualities of one fiber mixed with another fiber that has qualities lacking in the first fiber. For example you can mix the insulating warmth of wool with the softness of cotton with the stretch of spandex to create an even more useful fabric for modern apparel.In my weave project I utilized three weave patterns: plain weave, basket weave, and twill weave.A plain weave is the most common weave due to its simplicity and durability. It is formed when the weft threads alternate evenly over and under the warp threads followed by a row that alternates the under over pattern. A checkerboard appearance is created. A plain weave can appear different if the warp and weft yarns are of a different thickness.A basket weave is a variation on the plain weave with two or more rows of matching weft threads that alternate in a single offset each new set of matching rows. The basket weave was the easiest for me to weave because the previously lifted warp threads created warp columns that were easier to lift because they had been lifted by the previous weft row. Basket weave is said to be more flexible but less sturdy than a plain weave. It is often used for suits and coats because of its resistance to wrinkles.A twill weave is created when a weft yarn thread floats over one or more warp threads and the next row is offset one row to create a diagonal appearance in the floated threads. Twill weaves tend to drape well and be heavier and sturdier. Denim and tweed are examples of twill weaves. In denim only the warp threads are commonly dyed creating a stronger visual pattern. Also the white warp begins to show through with wear creating the characteristic faded jeans look. The name denim is derived from the phrase de Nime referring to the city of Nimes France. Levi Strauss popularized denim when he imported denim from France to make sturdy pants in the US during the California gold rush in 1853.Satin weave is created when the warp or weft weaves float over a number of corresponding warp or wefts. This can give a smoother surface sheen than other weaves. Typically a true satin is made from a shiny material such as silk, nylon or polyester filament fibers which add extra luster. When this weave type is used with short staple textiles then it may be called a sateen. The drawback is that the floating threads may be more likely snagged on sharp edges. A popular use of satin weave is in bed sheet covers, curtains and luxury apparel. I didnt use the satin weave in my project.I utilized the diagonal pattern created by the twill weave alternating left and right to create a visual interest in my project which breaks away from the linear and geometric patterns of the plain weave and basket weaves.