Glossary of terms used on this site

Sheep\'s wool that contains natural grease and lanoline. The wool is usually scoured before being prepared for dyeing or spinning. greige Undyed, unprinted, unbleached and unfinished \'grey\' cloth straight from the loom.

Grenadine is the name given to a tightly twisted yarn in which two or three single twisted strands are plied and double twisted in the opposite direction more tightly than organzine giving it, extra strength in weaving and a dull appearance to the fabric.

A silk fabric with pronounced ribs across a heavy cloth. From the French gros, meaning large and grain, meaning cord.

A cloth handwoven in Zimbabwe from the softened inner bark from either the munhondo or mupfuti trees. The cloth is used for making blankets, bags, arrow quivers, storage pouches for food or beer filters. guard hairs The coarse long hairs which protect the short fine wool-like undercoat of some mammals. For example the coarse hair which protects the fine wool of the pashmina goat. See pashmina and cashmere.

A gum obtained from several species of acacia. The best gum is obtained from A.senegal and A.arabica. Used as a dye thickener for textile printing and in the manufacture of inks and adhesives.

Sometimes known as gum dragon. Obtained from the leguminous plant, Astragalus gummifer, and in its old form was sold in white or yellow horny scales known as devil\'s toenails. Is now obtained in powder form and used, sometimes in combination with starch, as a thickener in the preparation of textile printing paste.

A sacking fabric woven from jute yarn in India and Bangladesh. From the Hindi word goni meaning sacking. Chiefly exported from Pondicherry, South India, to West Africa as negro\'s clothing in the 17th century. Throughout its long history gunny has been known as chatee, gunnys, guiny, guinea-stuffs, guinees, goeneys and even goonies.
See burlap, hessian, jute, osnaburg and sacking.

A lightweight Japanese silk fabric. Sometimes referred to as Jap cloth.

Animals which live in cold climates, such as the pashmina goat, usually grow a soft down like wool under a protective hair called guard hair. The hair of the llama, alpaca and camel are spun by hand into coarse yarns and woven into cloth for bags and floor covering. The fine hair of the angora rabbit is so soft that it is mixed with fine wool and spun into knitting yarns. Most different animal hairs, even human hair, can be spun and woven or knitted into a textile. See haircloth and horse hair.

Woven from twisted cotton or linen warp with horse hair, goat hair or camel hair in the weft. Traditionally used for interlining in the tailoring of coats and jackets. See hair and horse hair.

The term used to describe the feel of a fabric. See drape.

A continuous loop of yarn, without a specific measurement or weight the circumference of which can be a yard, metre, 45 inches or 60 inches depending on the type of textile trade. See skein.

One of the most well known woollen tweeds Woven in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland on the islands of Harris and Lewis. Traditionally made from a blend of strong Scottish wools, which are scoured, dyed and spun into yarn centrally in local spinning mills. The yarn is distributed to the outlying crofter to be woven in 2 and 2 twill weave on either traditional wooden handlooms or Hattersley domestic treadle looms. Once woven and taken off the loom the tweed, which is approximately 78 metres long, is collected in its greasy state and taken back to the mill for finishing. In 1909 the Harris Tweed Association was formed and the familiar Orb Mark was registered as its trademark and authenticates the tweed as having been handwoven from 100% pure new wool on the isles of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra. The Orb Mark protects Harris Tweed from other weavers attempting to copy it on neighbouring islands or in other countries.

A hindi word meaning hand or forearm. A cubit equal to the measurement from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow. Between 18 and 22 inches (between 45 and 56 centimetres). Also hindi for a market.

Twisted galvanized wire or stamped out narrow, stainless steel, strips with a central hole or eye through which the warp end is passed. Healds have a loop at each end with which to attach it to the shaft frame. See heddle.