Fiber Friday - Cotton Mercerization

I have to confess that this time of year it's hard to work up enthusiasm for sewing. It's just too hot. Thankfully, I do have an air conditioner in my studio (I'm so spoiled!) or else it would be just impossible.

I was shopping for my cousin's wedding shower and wedding gifts today in Target and of course one of the things I was looking at were bedding sets. Being the practical sort, I prefer to buy wedding gifts that while practical, might not be something that the newlyweds would splurge on themselves.

Often, a nice set of cotton sheets will be made from cotton that is mercerized. But what is mercerization?

According to Wikipedia, mercerization, appropriately enough, was a chemical treatment discovered by a Mr. Mercer in 1844. It consists of treating cotton with sodium hydroxide. The sodium hydroxide causes the cotton to swell and the cotton polymers to rearrange, move further apart, and reorient. At this point you might be thinking, "huh?" Suffice it to say, mercerization is a chemical treatment, that when applied to cotton (or any cellulose fiber, for that matter) fabric or thread kept under tension, produces a product that is smoother and more lustrous than untreated cotton. In addition, according to my textile science textbook, mercerization requires only 70% as much dyestuff to achieve the same intensity of hue. Dyestuffs used for cotton are often toxic, so the reduction of dyestuffs needed is always a welcome bonus. Mercerization also enhances the strength and absorbency of the cotton.

So mercerization does some pretty amazing things to the humble cotton fiber. What are the downsides? As with any chemical process, you have potential toxicity issues and therefore environmental issues. Sometimes liquid ammonia is now used to produce a similar, less costly cotton product but it has plenty of handling hazards as well.

Fiber Friday - Alpaca

It's Fair Time, so while I haven't had time to post since last Friday, I have had lots of exposure to interesting fibers.

Today was the Sheep show for our local county fair and it was also the fleece competition. This year we had three different species represented in the fleeces - camelids (alpacas), sheep and rabbits (angora). We didn't have any angora goat fiber - known as mohair - but that would have made four species, which would have been even more interesting.

When judging fleeces, the judge looks at various aspects of the fleece - the luster, the crimp, cleanliness (lots of work skirting to remove all vegetation), the condition of the fleece (sun damage, etc.) and similar criteria. This year's Supreme Fleece went to a lovely natural colored (not white) alpaca fleece.

Alpacas produce some of the most valuable fiber in the world. It has an incredibly soft hand, and thanks to a hollow fiber structure, offers warmth without weight. There are two different types of alpaca - the huacaya and the suri. They are differentiated by their fleeces. Huacayas have fluffy fleeces that stands out away from their body making them look like the camelid version of a teddy bear. Or a fluffy alien. Suri alpacas, which traditionally make up only about 10% of alpacas, have long, silky locks that fall closely to their bodies making them look more like a lustrous, silky mop on stilts. Or something to that effect.

While alpacas have long been domesticated in their native South America, they were introduced into the U.S. in the 1980's. Originally it was thought that alpacas were a smaller form of llamas, but more recent DNA testing found that they were actually descended from the vicuna, and so their scientific name was changed accordingly. In doing some research for this article I came across a very interesting piece about breeding suri alpacas. Apparently there has been cross breeding with huacayas, resulting in what looks like a suri, but is actually a 'cross breed' of sorts between the two. If you are not interested in genetics, animal science or fiber, you might think 'big deal'. But when you're intending to breed for a suri alpaca fleece, it is definitely required reading!

If you have the chance, I would definitely encourage you to get your hands on some alpaca fiber. It is truly a treat. My second self-knitted sweater was made of a blend of wool, alpaca and mohair fiber. I love it - it is one of my most common winter garments. It is never too warm and always snuggly whatever the weather.

Fiber Friday - Skirting

Spent Fiber Friday, appropriately enough, supervising my niece as she skirted her two natural colored Romney fleeces prior to show.

Skirting is the process of removing undesirable wool from a fleece prior to processing. You remove any dung tags, vegetation, kemp (sometimes wool animals will grow some 'hair' instead of wool along their legs and/or belly - it's undesirable and if excessive is a major disqualification in some breeds), and any other unwanted items from the fleece.

In my niece's case, it's a little tougher because the fleece is being skirted for exhibition. She will be 'showing' or competing her fleeces along with her two sheep at the county and state fairs this summer and fall. It is a challenge trying to find a balance between having a nice looking fleece and having animals with the right amount of wool for show (on their bodies). With only two ewes to work with you simply have to do the best you can. This year's fleeces are probably a bit too long. They are showing some sun damage. It will be interesting to see what the judges comment on the clip. Otherwise, she should do reasonably well; her ewes have nice fleeces (both before and after shearing) and come from a high quality flock.

My niece and fellow competitors/friends and their Romney sheep at last year's State 4-H Fair. Harriett (the sheep in the middle) looks pretty good for an old ewe! She has a beautiful fleece.