Clothing and Textiles · Lesson 3

Yarns, weaving and weaves, knitting and other methods, aso-oke and akwete, finishes, adire, tie-dye and batik

WAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

WAEC: Fibre and fabric (fabrication/construction: weaves, knitting, crocheting; finishing treatments); Nigerian traditional textiles. Extends he8.4–8.5.

NECO: Fibre and fabric (fabrication/construction: weaves, knitting, crocheting; finishing treatments); Nigerian traditional textiles. Extends he8.4–8.5.

What you will learn

Explain yarn terms and fabric construction methods.
Describe weaving, warp, weft, selvedge, grain and bias.
Describe plain, twill, satin and fancy weaves.
Describe knitted, crocheted, felted, non-woven and lace fabrics.
Compare Nigerian narrow-band and broad looms.
Describe basic and functional finishes.
Describe adire, tie-dye and batik with safety rules.
Calculate shrinkage, thread count and fabric weight.

Key points

Construction methods: weave, knit, crochet, felt, bond, lace, braid.
Warp is straight grain; weft cross grain; bias 45°.
Plain: calico, poplin; twill: denim, drill; satin: floats and lustre.
Pile, jacquard, dobby, leno and crepe are fancy weaves.
Knits: wales, courses; weft vs warp knitting.
Non-wovens: no grain, no fraying; interfacings.
Aso-oke by men on narrow-band looms; akwete by women on broad looms.
Basic finishes: singe, desize, scour, bleach, mercerise, tenter, calender.
Functional: shrink, crease, water, flame, moth, antistatic.
Adire oniko, alabere, eleko; batik uses wax.

Start here: Fabric construction: overview and yarn terms

Fabrication (fabric construction) is the process of turning yarns or fibres into fabric. The method chosen decides how the fabric stretches, drapes, frays, wears and looks.

Yarn terms you need

Spinning: drawing out and twisting fibres into a yarn.
Twist: turns per centimetre. Low twist gives soft, bulky, weaker yarn (knitting wool); high twist gives hard, strong, smooth yarn (voile, crepe). Direction is S-twist or Z-twist, named from the slope of the letter.
Single yarn: one strand. Plied yarn: two or more singles twisted together (2-ply, 3-ply), stronger and more even. Cord: plied yarns twisted again.
Textured yarn: synthetic filament crimped or looped to give bulk and stretch.
Novelty (fancy) yarns: slub, boucle, loop, metallic, used for decoration.
Sewing thread: strong, smooth, evenly plied yarn, usually mercerised cotton, polyester or polyester-core cotton-wrapped.

Choice of construction method

Method	Main characteristics	Examples
Weaving	Firm, stable, frays at cut edges, little stretch except on the bias	Ankara, poplin, denim, aso-oke
Knitting	Stretchy, comfortable, does not fray but may ladder	T-shirts, jerseys, socks, sweaters
Crochet	Open, decorative, handmade	Caps, tablemats, baby shawls, edging
Felting / non-woven	No grain, does not fray, weaker, cheap	Interfacing (Vilene), felt hats, wipes, shopping bags
Lace / net	Open, decorative	Nigerian “lace” blouses, veils, mosquito nets

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Practice questions

1. Lengthwise yarns in woven fabric are the

warp
weft
selvedge
bias

Show answer

A: warp
Warp runs parallel to the selvedge.

2. The firm woven edge of fabric is the

bias
grain
nap
selvedge

Show answer

D: selvedge
Self-edge that does not fray.

3. True bias is at

parallel to the warp
30° to the weft
45° to the warp
90° to the warp

Show answer

C: 45° to the warp
Gives most stretch.

4. Denim is usually woven in

leno weave
twill weave
plain weave
satin weave

Show answer

B: twill weave
Diagonal ribs.

5. A weave with long floats giving a shiny surface is

satin
plain
basket
twill

Show answer

A: satin
Floats reflect light.

Key words

Warp: Lengthwise yarns on the loom.
Weft: Crosswise yarns.
Selvedge: Self-finished lengthwise edge.
Bias: Direction at 45° to the grain.
Thread count: Ends plus picks per unit area.
Float: Yarn passing over several others.
Wale: Vertical column of knitted loops.
Course: Horizontal row of knitted loops.
Ladder: Run in a knit from a broken loop.
Non-woven: Bonded fibre web fabric.
Grey goods: Unfinished fabric from the loom.
Calendering: Pressing with heated rollers.

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