# Yarn, Thread, Fibers & Wire

What a strand must do — shape fabric by hand, pull through fabric on a needle, work loose into yarn or felt, or bend into a shape that holds — decides which spec matters: yarn's weight, thread's weight number and fiber, raw fiber's prep and micron fineness, or wire's gauge, material, and temper.

## How it works

All four are long continuous strands, but how each is made decides what it is for. Yarn is fiber spun and twisted into plies thick enough to shape by hand into knit or crochet fabric; its weight category (lace to jumbo) sets the needle or hook size. Thread is a finer spun strand pulled through fabric by a needle or machine, so its weight number runs opposite to yarn's — higher means thinner — and its fiber and finish decide how well it survives friction at high speed. Raw fiber is wool, alpaca, or a blend before it is spun: sold loose as roving, top, batt, or locks, then worked by hand into yarn (spinning) or directly into fabric (felting), never through a needle. Wire is drawn metal sized by gauge and work-hardened to a temper, so it holds a bent shape instead of draping like fiber does. [2] [3] [10] [6]

## How an expert narrows the choice

```mermaid
timeline
  section 1 · Yarn, thread, raw fiber, or wire
    yarn : ask Yarn weight (thickness) : skip Thread use, Thread weight, Spinning or felting, Fiber source, Wire use, Wire gauge
    thread : ask Thread use : skip Yarn weight (thickness), Spinning or felting, Fiber source, Wire use, Wire gauge
    raw_fiber : ask Spinning or felting : skip Yarn weight (thickness), Thread use, Thread weight, Wire use, Wire gauge
    wire : ask Wire use : skip Yarn weight (thickness), Thread use, Thread weight, Spinning or felting, Fiber source
  section 2 · Thread use
    upholstery_heavy_duty : ask Finish/coating
  section 3 · Spinning or felting
    spinning : ask Fineness (micron)
    wet_felting / needle_felting : ask Prep form
  section 4 · Wire use
    floral_or_craft_armature : skip Temper (hardness)
    beading_stringing : skip Temper (hardness)
    jewelry_wire_wrapping : ask Temper (hardness)
    chainmaille_or_weaving : ask Temper (hardness)
```

1. **Yarn, thread, raw fiber, or wire.** Yarn, sewing thread, raw fiber, or craft wire?
   Each type is judged on a different spec sheet — yarn weight, thread weight number, fiber micron count, or wire gauge — so nothing else can be asked until this is known.
   If yarn: ask Yarn weight (thickness); skip Thread use, Thread weight, Spinning or felting, Fiber source, Wire use, Wire gauge.
   If thread: ask Thread use; skip Yarn weight (thickness), Spinning or felting, Fiber source, Wire use, Wire gauge.
   If raw_fiber: ask Spinning or felting; skip Yarn weight (thickness), Thread use, Thread weight, Wire use, Wire gauge.
   If wire: ask Wire use; skip Yarn weight (thickness), Thread use, Thread weight, Spinning or felting, Fiber source.
   Skip if already known: a query that already names yarn, thread, roving, fleece, or wire, an earlier answer naming a weight category, thread weight, or wire gauge.

2. **Thread use.** Sewing, quilting, machine/hand embroidery, serging, or upholstery?
   Each use wants a different weight and finish: quilting wants smooth cotton that will not fray a design, embroidery wants sheen, serging wants fine strength, upholstery wants bonded thickness.
   If upholstery_heavy_duty: ask Finish/coating.
   Skip if already known: an earlier answer naming a machine type or project (quilt, embroidery design, upholstery repair).

3. **Spinning or felting.** Spinning into yarn, or felting?
   Spinners care most about micron fineness and staple length; felters care most about prep form and how readily the fiber's scales lock together.
   If spinning: ask Fineness (micron).
   If wet_felting or needle_felting: ask Prep form.
   Skip if already known: an earlier answer naming a spinning wheel, drop spindle, or a felting project.

4. **Wire use.** Wire-wrapping jewelry, stringing beads, or floral or armature work?
   Temper matters most for wire-wrapping, where the wire must hold a shape; floral and craft wire is already soft and pre-finished, and beading wire is a stranded cable, not a solid temper-graded wire.
   If floral_or_craft_armature: skip Temper (hardness).
   If beading_stringing: skip Temper (hardness).
   If jewelry_wire_wrapping: ask Temper (hardness).
   If chainmaille_or_weaving: ask Temper (hardness).
   Skip if already known: an earlier answer naming jewelry wire-wrapping, beading, floristry, or sculpture armature.

## What to surface

### Yarn, thread, raw fiber, or wire

Which of the four strand types the listing is: spun yarn for knit/crochet, sewing/embroidery thread, unspun raw fiber for spinning or felting, or craft/jewelry wire. Each type is compared on its own spec sheet. Asking about thread weight on a listing for raw fleece, or wire gauge on a skein of yarn, makes no sense, so this decides every question that follows. [2] [3] [10] [6]

Values: yarn, thread, raw_fiber, wire.
Question to ask: Yarn, sewing thread, raw fiber, or craft wire?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Derive from the title/category: 'yarn', 'thread', 'roving/fleece/batt/top', or 'wire/gauge'.
Title keyword match covers nearly all listings in this leaf.

### Thread use

What the thread is mainly for: everyday sewing, quilting, machine or hand embroidery, serger/overlock seams, or heavy-duty upholstery work. Each use wants a different weight and finish: quilting wants a smooth cotton that will not fray a pieced top, embroidery wants a sheen that shows off a design, serging wants a fine strong thread that will not add bulk, and upholstery needs a thick bonded thread that resists abrasion. [3]

Values: general_sewing, quilting, machine_embroidery, hand_embroidery, serger_overlock, upholstery_heavy_duty.
Question to ask: Sewing, quilting, machine/hand embroidery, serging, or upholstery?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Derive from the product category/title ('quilting thread', 'embroidery thread', 'serger thread', 'upholstery thread').
Keyword match the title/category; default to general_sewing when no specific use is named.

### Spinning or felting

Whether the raw fiber is meant to be spun into yarn by hand, wet-felted or needle-felted into fabric or sculpture, or just dyed and resold loose. Spinners judge fiber mainly on micron fineness and staple length, since those decide how soft and how easy to draft the yarn will be; felters care most about how readily the fiber's scales lock together and what prep form it comes in. [10] [11]

Values: spinning, wet_felting, needle_felting, dyeing_only.
Question to ask: Spinning into yarn, or felting?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Derive from the product category/title ('spinning fiber', 'felting wool', 'roving').
Keyword match the title/category; default to spinning when the listing just says 'roving' or 'top' with no felting keyword.

### Wire use

What the wire is mainly for: wrapping and shaping jewelry, stringing beads on a flexible cable, floral/craft armature work, or chainmaille and wire weaving. Wire-wrapping needs a solid, temper-graded wire that holds a bent shape; beading wire is a separate product, a multi-strand nylon-coated cable sized by decimal diameter rather than temper; floral and armature wire is sold already dead-soft and pre-finished. [6]

Values: jewelry_wire_wrapping, beading_stringing, floral_or_craft_armature, chainmaille_or_weaving.
Question to ask: Wire-wrapping, beading, or floral/armature wire?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Derive from the product title/category ('wire-wrapping wire', 'beading wire', 'floral wire', 'chainmaille rings').
Keyword match the title/category; default to jewelry_wire_wrapping for plain 'craft wire' listings with a gauge and temper stated.

### Yarn weight (thickness)

The Craft Yarn Council's standard thickness category, numbered 0 (lace) to 7 (jumbo), that sets the needle or hook size and finished gauge. Weight decides what the yarn can become: lace and fingering for shawls and socks at a fine gauge, worsted for sweaters, bulky and jumbo for fast arm-knit blankets. Substituting a different weight than a pattern calls for changes the finished size and drape. [1] [2]

Values: lace, super_fine, fine, light, medium, bulky, super_bulky, jumbo.
Question to ask: How thick — lace, worsted, or super bulky?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Almost always on the label as a name (sock, DK, worsted, chunky) or a numbered ball-band symbol 0–7.
Map the title/label name to the 8 CYC categories; default to medium (worsted) when unstated since it is the most common weight.
Chart: position on a thickness scale, lace to jumbo.

### Yarn fiber

What the yarn is spun from: wool, cotton, acrylic, silk, alpaca or mohair, a blend, another plant fiber, or unstated. Fiber decides warmth, drape, and care: wool is warm and felts if machine-washed untreated, cotton is cool and inelastic, acrylic is cheap and machine-washable, silk and alpaca add drape and halo at a higher price. [2] [8]

Values: wool, cotton, acrylic, silk, alpaca_or_mohair, blend, plant_based_other, unspecified.
Question to ask: Wool, cotton, acrylic, or a blend?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Almost always in the title and in a fiber-content line on the label.
Title keyword match against the eight values; default to blend when multiple fibers are named with no single majority.
Chart: color by fiber family.

### Thread fiber

What the thread is made from: cotton, polyester, poly-wrapped cotton, nylon, silk, rayon, wool, or a specialty high-temperature fiber. Cotton is low-sheen and traditional for quilting; polyester and nylon are stronger and stretchier with little lint; rayon and silk give high sheen for decorative embroidery; wool and specialty coated fibers handle heat or heavy abrasion that cotton and polyester cannot. [3]

Values: cotton, polyester, poly_wrapped_cotton, nylon, silk, rayon, wool, specialty_high_temp.
Question to ask: Cotton, polyester, or silk thread?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Almost always in the title and on a spool-end label code (e.g. a 'P' prefix for polyester).
Title keyword match against the eight values; default to polyester when unstated since it is the most common all-purpose fiber.
Chart: color by fiber family.

### Wire material

What the wire is made of: copper, brass, sterling or fine silver, gold-filled or silver-filled, anodized/colored craft aluminum, or nylon-coated stainless beading cable. Copper and brass are cheap and easy to shape for practice; sterling and gold-filled wire are what finished jewelry is sold in and hold polish; coated craft aluminum is light and colorful but softer; stainless beading cable is for strength and abrasion resistance against sharp bead holes. [6]

Values: copper, brass, sterling_or_fine_silver, gold_filled_or_silver_filled, craft_aluminum_colored, stainless_nylon_coated_cable.
Question to ask: Copper, silver, gold-filled, or colored craft wire?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Almost always in the title ('sterling silver wire', 'copper craft wire', 'beading wire').
Title keyword match against the six materials; default to copper for unstated plain craft wire since it is the cheapest common material.
Chart: color by material.

### Care

Whether the finished item can go in a washing machine, needs hand-washing, or needs dry cleaning. Untreated wool and other animal fiber felt and shrink if agitated in hot water; a 'superwash' chemical treatment lets the same fiber survive a washing machine. Buyers making gifts or kidswear usually need machine-washable care. [2] [8]

Values: machine_washable, hand_wash_only, dry_clean_only, unspecified.
Question to ask: Does it need to be machine washable?

Used as: filter. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Often only implied by the word 'superwash' in the title rather than a stated care field.
Keyword match 'superwash' or 'machine wash' in title/description to machine_washable; pure animal fiber with neither keyword defaults to hand_wash_only.

### Color pattern

How the color is applied along the strand: a single solid hue, variegated with multiple colors, self-striping, heathered/tweed flecks, or ombré. Self-striping yarn is dyed to form stripes automatically as you knit or crochet; variegated and hand-dyed yarn can 'pool' or flash in unwanted patterns in some stitch patterns, which solid or heathered yarn never does. [2]

Values: solid, variegated_multicolor, self_striping, heathered_or_tweed, ombre, hand_dyed_one_of_a_kind.
Question to ask: Solid color, or variegated/self-striping?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Usually shown in the product photo and named in the title ('variegated', 'self-striping', 'tweed').
Title keyword match; default to solid when no color-pattern keyword appears.

### Fiber source

What animal, plant, or synthetic the raw fiber comes from, grouped by typical micron range: fine merino wool, medium/crossbred wool, coarse/carpet wool, alpaca or mohair, silk, cotton, another plant fiber, or a synthetic blend. Fine merino is the softest and most expensive, worn comfortably next to skin; medium and coarse wool are cheaper and more durable, better for outerwear, rugs, or practice felting; alpaca and mohair add drape or halo that wool alone does not have. [8]

Values: wool_fine_merino, wool_medium_or_crossbred, wool_coarse_or_carpet, alpaca_or_mohair, silk, cotton, plant_based_other, synthetic_blend.
Question to ask: Merino wool, a coarser wool, or alpaca/mohair?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Almost always in the title ('merino roving', 'Corriedale batt', 'alpaca fiber').
Title keyword match against breed/fiber names; default to wool_medium_or_crossbred when a breed is unnamed.
Chart: position on a fine-to-coarse axis.

### Wire gauge

The wire's thickness on the American Wire Gauge scale, where a lower number is a thicker wire. Thick 10–14 gauge wire is stiff enough for bangles and clasps; medium 16–18 gauge suits jump rings and links; fine 20–26 gauge is for wrapping and coiling around beads and findings. Doubling the wire's diameter drops the gauge number by about 6. [5] [6]

Range: 10 to 26 AWG. most jewelry wire-wrapping uses 18–24 gauge.
Question to ask: Thick (10–14), medium (16–18), or fine (20–26) gauge?

Used as: filter, sortable. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Almost always in the title as a gauge number (e.g. '20 gauge wire').
Parse the gauge number directly from the title; beading wire is labeled by decimal diameter instead (its '34-gauge' marketing name is a different, stranded-cable product, not a solid AWG wire) and should be mapped separately, not forced onto this AWG scale.
Chart: position on a thickness axis, inverted (lower number = thicker).

### Recommended hook/needle size

The crochet hook or knitting needle size in millimeters that the ball band recommends for that specific skein, within its weight category's typical range. The weight category is only a bucket; the label's own gauge swatch and hook/needle number is the actual spec that sets stitch size, so two skeins in the same weight bucket can still call for different needles. [1] [15]

Range: 1.5 to 15 mm (hook or needle size). most label swatches fall between 2.25mm (fingering) and 9mm (bulky); jumbo yarn commonly uses 15mm and larger.

Used as: filter, sortable. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: On the ball band as a gauge swatch with a hook/needle mm and US size, e.g. '5.5 mm (US I/9) Crochet Hook'.
Parse the mm number directly from the label's gauge swatch; when absent, map the stated yarn_weight category to the CYC standard's midpoint mm for that category.
Chart: position on a hook/needle size axis.

### Thread weight

A number describing how thin the thread is, where a higher number means a thinner thread (the opposite direction from wire gauge). Weight decides both strength and bulk in the seam: light 60wt thread is nearly invisible for applique and bobbin work, regular 40wt is the all-purpose default, and heavy 20wt decorative/topstitching thread shows as a bold line. Using too heavy a thread can jam a machine's tension. [3]

Range: 20 to 60 weight number (higher = thinner). most general sewing and quilting thread is 40wt to 50wt.

Used as: filter, sortable. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: On the spool label as 'wt' (e.g. '50wt') or as a code like '50/3'.
Parse the 'wt' number directly from title/label; when only a Tex or denier number is given, convert using weight = 1000/Tex or weight = 9000/denier.
Chart: position on a fine-to-heavy axis.

### Prep form

How the raw fiber has been processed before sale: carded roving, combed top, a carded batt, loose sliver, raw unprocessed locks, or a dense pencil roving. Combed top is smooth, lustrous, and drafts easily for a beginner spinner; carded roving is fluffier and better for woolen-style spinning or needle felting; batts are the standard form for wet felting flat pieces; raw locks need washing and carding before use. [10] [4] [9]

Values: combed_top, carded_roving, pencil_roving, carded_batt, sliver, raw_locks.

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Almost always in the title ('merino top', 'wool batt', 'raw fleece locks').
Title keyword match against the six forms; default to carded_roving when the listing only says 'roving'.

### Ply and construction

How the yarn's strands are built: a single unplied strand, two or more plies twisted together, a hollow chainette tube, or a textured/novelty construction like boucle or slub. Single-ply yarn shows stitch definition but pills and splits more easily; multi-ply is rounder and more durable; boucle, chainette, and slub trade stitch definition for texture and are harder to see mistakes in, which beginners sometimes prefer. [2]

Values: single_ply, two_ply, multi_ply, chainette, boucle_or_textured, novelty_or_slub.

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Sometimes in the title ('chainette', 'boucle', 'single-ply'); otherwise inferred from the product photo or description.
Keyword match the title/description; when absent, default to multi_ply since it is the most common smooth-yarn construction.

### Put-up (how it's wound)

The form the yarn is sold in: a twisted or folded hank, a center-pull skein, a ball, a cake, or a cone. A hank must be wound into a ball or cake before it can be used or it will tangle into a mess; a skein or cake can be knitted or crocheted straight from the put-up. Cones are for machine knitting, not hand work. [2]

Values: hank, skein_center_pull, ball, cake, cone.
Question to ask: Ready-to-use skein, or a hank that needs winding?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Stated in the title or product type ('hank', 'skein', 'cake', 'cone') for most hand-dyed and specialty yarns.
Title keyword match; mass-market acrylic yarn defaults to skein_center_pull when unstated.

### Skein yardage

The total length of yarn in one skein, ball, or hank, printed on the label in yards and/or meters. Yardage, not skein count, decides whether enough yarn was bought for a pattern; two skeins in the same weight category and even the same gram weight can still differ in yardage, and the register's own yards-per-100g metric needs this raw number as an input. [2] [16]


Used as: filter, sortable. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: On the label/ball-band and often in the title or spec sheet as 'X yards' or 'X meters/Y yards' (e.g. Red Heart Super Saver: '333 meters/364 yards').
Parse the yards/meters number directly from the title or spec sheet; when only net weight and yarn_weight category are given, estimate using the category's typical yards-per-100g via yarn_length_per_weight.
Chart: position on a length axis.

### Skein net weight

The net weight of one skein, ball, or hank in grams or ounces, printed on the label. Net weight is the other half of the yards-per-100g comparison; a buyer stacking several same-weight-category skeins to finish a pattern needs this raw number, not just the weight category name. [2] [16]

Range: 50 to 1000 grams per skein. most hand-knitting skeins are 100g-200g.

Used as: filter, sortable. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: On the label as grams and/or ounces (e.g. '198 g/7 oz').
Parse the gram/ounce number directly from the title or spec sheet; default to 100g when only 'skein' is stated with no weight, since it is the most common hand-knitting size.
Chart: position on a weight axis.

### Fineness (micron)

The average diameter of the fiber in microns; a lower number is a finer, softer fiber and a higher number is coarser. Fiber finer than about 25 microns is usually comfortable worn next to skin, while fiber above about 30–32 microns can feel prickly against skin even though it is perfectly fine for rugs, outerwear felt, or sturdy practice spinning. [8]

Range: 12 to 45 micron. fine merino sits around 17–24 microns; medium wool around 27–35 microns.

Used as: filter, sortable. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Specialty spinning-fiber sellers often state a micron count or breed name; mass-market craft wool rarely states a number.
Map the stated breed name to its typical micron range; when neither is given, leave unstated rather than guessing.
Chart: position on a fine-to-coarse axis.

### Certification

Whether the strand carries a third-party certification: OEKO-TEX Standard 100 for chemical safety, GOTS for organic fiber content, or none stated. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 means every component, including dyes, has been tested for harmful substances; GOTS additionally certifies the fiber itself was grown organically. Buyers making baby items or working around allergies often filter on these specifically. [12] [13] [14]

Values: none_or_unspecified, oeko_tex_standard_100, gots_organic.
Question to ask: Does it need to be OEKO-TEX or organic certified?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Stated as a logo or line in the description on brand sites; rarely a structured field on general marketplaces.
Keyword match 'OEKO-TEX' or 'GOTS' in the description; default to none_or_unspecified when absent rather than assuming compliance.

### Temper (hardness)

How much the wire has been work-hardened: dead soft (most bendable), half-hard (keeps a shape under moderate stress), or full hard (holds intricate shapes, best for clasps). Dead soft wire bends easily but will not hold its shape at a stress point like a clasp; half-hard is the common choice for wrapped jewelry that needs some give; full hard is stiffest and hardest to manipulate but holds a finished shape best. [6] [7]

Values: dead_soft, half_hard, full_hard.
Question to ask: Dead soft, half-hard, or full hard wire?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Almost always in the title for precious-metal wire ('dead soft sterling wire'); base-metal craft wire, the higher-volume segment, often omits it.
Title keyword match against the three tempers; default to dead_soft when unstated since most inexpensive craft wire is sold that way.

### Finish/coating

Whether the thread has a mercerizing treatment, a glazed coating, a bonded resin coating, or no special finish. Mercerized cotton is stronger and shinier than unmercerized; bonded nylon or polyester resists abrasion and rot, which is what upholstery, outdoor, and leather thread needs to survive repeated friction that would fray a plain thread. [3]

Values: mercerized, glazed, bonded, none_or_unspecified.

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Sometimes stated in the title ('bonded nylon', 'mercerized cotton'); otherwise implied by the marketed use (upholstery thread is almost always bonded).
Keyword match the title; default upholstery/outdoor-marketed thread to bonded and quilting cotton to mercerized when unstated.

## Numbers worth computing

| Metric | Formula | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Yards per 100g (yards per 100 g) | `skein_yardage / (skein_weight_grams / 100)` | The marketed weight category is a rough bucket; two skeins in the same category can differ a lot in actual density, so an expert checks yards-per-100g to compare true thickness and estimate how many skeins a pattern needs. [2] |
| Denier from weight number (denier) | `9000 / thread_weight` | Thread is labeled in whichever system a given brand uses (wt, Tex, or denier); converting to a common unit lets a buyer compare two spools labeled in different systems. [3] [4] |

## What you give up

- Untreated wool and other animal fiber felt and shrink when agitated in hot water, which is exactly what makes them good at bonding into felt on purpose; a superwash treatment removes the scales that cause this so the yarn survives a washing machine, at some cost to the fiber's natural feel. [2] [11] Board branch: "Machine-washable over hand-wash-only".
- Full hard wire keeps an intricate wrapped shape and resists loosening at a clasp, but it is stiffer and more likely to crack if over-bent; dead soft wire bends easily by hand but will not hold a shape under stress on its own. [6] Board branch: "Holds its shape over easy to bend".

## Words you will meet

- **Ply**. One of the strands of fiber twisted together to build a yarn or thread; more plies generally means rounder and stronger.
- **Hank**. A loosely coiled, twisted bundle of yarn that must be wound into a ball or cake before it can be knitted or crocheted.
- **Skein**. A wound put-up of yarn with a center-pull end, ready to work from as soon as it is opened.
- **Superwash**. A chemical treatment that removes a wool fiber's scales so it can be machine washed without felting.
- **Variegated**. Dyed with two or more distinct colors along one strand, instead of a single solid hue.
- **Thread weight (wt)**. A number printed on a spool where a higher number means a thinner, finer thread.
- **Tex**. The number of grams that 1,000 metres of a thread or yarn weighs; a higher tex number is a heavier strand.
- **Denier**. The number of grams that 9,000 metres of a fiber or thread weighs; unlike thread weight, a higher denier is a thicker strand.
- **Bonded thread**. Thread coated with a resin that resists abrasion and rot, used for upholstery, outdoor, and leather sewing.
- **Roving**. A loosely twisted, carded rope of fiber prepared for spinning, fluffier than combed top.
- **Top (combed top)**. A smooth, lustrous rope of combed fiber with the individual fibers lying parallel, used for easier spinning or felting.
- **Micron**. One-millionth of a metre, the unit used to grade how fine or coarse a wool or other animal fiber is.
- **AWG (American Wire Gauge)**. A numbered sizing system for wire where a lower number means a thicker wire.
- **Temper**. How much a wire has been work-hardened, from dead soft (most bendable) to full hard (holds its shape best).
- **OEKO-TEX Standard 100**. A certification that every component of a textile, including its dyes, has been tested for harmful substances.
- **Chainette**. A yarn built as a thin, hollow knitted tube instead of twisted plies, giving a soft look that blurs stitch definition.
- **Boucle**. A novelty yarn with one ply looped and curled tightly around a core strand, giving a bumpy, looped texture.
- **Slub**. A novelty yarn spun with intentional thick-and-thin lumps along its length instead of an even diameter.
- **Self-striping**. Yarn dyed in long color segments so stripes form automatically as it is knit or crocheted, with no color changes by hand.
- **Ombre**. A color pattern that shifts gradually from light to dark, or one hue toward another, along the strand instead of switching abruptly.
- **Mercerized**. A caustic-soda treatment that makes cotton thread stronger and glossier than untreated cotton.
- **Glazed**. A hard, polished coating, often starch or wax based, that lets thread glide through fabric with less friction.
- **Sliver**. A loose, untwisted rope of carded fiber, the stage before it is drawn into roving or top.
- **Chainmaille**. Jewelry or armor made by linking many small wire jump rings together into a woven mesh pattern.
- **GOTS**. Global Organic Textile Standard, a leading certification that a textile's fiber was grown organically and processed to defined environmental and social criteria.

## Where we made a call

- Wool finer than about 25 microns suits skin contact; coarser than about 30–32 microns can feel prickly, not unsafe. (confidence medium). Sources disagree. A single Wikipedia synthesis states both thresholds without reconciling the 5-micron gap between them; treated here as a soft transition zone rather than a hard cutoff, since no second independent source with exact numbers was reachable this run. [8]
- Fineness range of about 12–45 microns (merino to carpet wool) rests on one source, wikipedia_wool, alone. (confidence medium). wikipedia_units_of_textile_measurement was previously cited as a second source but contains no micron figures; removed rather than kept as a false corroboration. No independent second source with matching numbers was reachable this run. [8]
- Thread weight numbers span about 20wt (heavy) to 60wt (light); this bound rests on one source only. (confidence medium). The original 12-100 bound and its second citation (wikipedia_units_of_textile_measurement) were not supported by either source's fetched text; softened to the range wikipedia_thread's own weight table actually shows, with no independent second source reachable this run. [3]

## References

1. [Standard Yarn Weight System](https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/yarn-weight-system) (standards body). Supports: Defines the 8 yarn weight categories 0–7 (lace to jumbo) and their names; Gives recommended needle/hook size and gauge ranges per category.
2. [Yarn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarn) (primer). Supports: Confirms CYC 0–7 yarn weight category numbers and names; Describes ply, twist direction, and single-ply pilling; Describes novelty, textured, and variegated/self-striping yarns; Defines hank, skein, center-pull, cake, and cone put-ups; Shows a 50g lace yarn vs 50g bulky yarn yardage example; Notes superwashing lets treated wool be machine washed.
3. [Thread (textiles)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread_(textiles)) (primer). Supports: Explains the wt/Gunze count thread-weight system and that higher wt is thinner; Gives the denier and Tex formulas and conversions between systems; Lists common Tex-to-use ranges from blindstitch to upholstery/topstitching; Describes cotton, polyester, nylon, silk, rayon, wool, and metallic thread fibers; Describes bonded nylon/polyester and other high-temperature specialty threads.
4. [Units of textile measurement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Units_of_textile_measurement) (primer). Supports: Independently confirms the denier (grams per 9,000 m) definition; Describes the Super S number as an index of wool fiber fineness; Confirms sliver, top, and roving as successive stages of the worsted process.
5. [American Wire Gauge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_wire_gauge) (primer). Supports: Defines AWG as logarithmic, with a lower gauge number meaning a thicker wire; States doubling wire diameter decreases the AWG number by about 6.
6. [Wire wrapped jewelry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_wrapped_jewelry) (primer). Supports: Gives common jewelry-wire gauge ranges and their typical uses (10–26 AWG for solid wire); Defines dead soft, half-hard, and full hard wire temper; Lists copper, brass, sterling/fine silver, gold-filled, and beading wire materials; Describes beading wire as a nylon-coated stranded stainless cable, not AWG-tempered wire; Lists round, half-round, square, and twisted wire shapes.
7. [Work hardening](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_hardening) (primer). Supports: Explains cold-working and annealing as the general mechanism behind metal wire temper; Describes jewelers intentionally work-hardening copper, gold, and silver wire for strength.
8. [Wool](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wool) (primer). Supports: Gives micron ranges by wool grade/breed, from Merino (12–24) to carpet wool (35–45); States fiber at or above about 30–32 microns can cause mechanical itch; States wool finer than about 25 microns suits garments next to skin; Describes carded (woolen) vs combed (worsted) processing by staple length; Describes the wet-felting mechanism via fiber scales.
9. [Staple length (wool)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staple_(wool)) (primer). Supports: Defines staple length and confirms wool 51mm and longer is processed as worsted/combing type.
10. [Roving](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roving) (primer). Supports: Distinguishes carded roving (fluffier, less parallel) from combed top (smooth, uniform length); Defines pencil roving as roving drawn to pencil thickness for easier drafting.
11. [Felt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felt) (primer). Supports: Describes wet felting (water, agitation, lubricant) versus needle felting (barbed-notch needles) as distinct craft processes.
12. [Oeko-Tex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oeko-Tex) (primer). Supports: Confirms Oeko-Tex certificates attest textile products are tested for safety from harmful substances.
13. [OEKO-TEX Standard 100](https://www.oeko-tex.com/en/our-standards/standard-100-by-oeko-tex) (standards body). Supports: States Standard 100 tests textiles for harmful substances 'from yarn to finished product'.
14. [Organic cotton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_cotton) (primer). Supports: States GOTS is considered the world's leading certification of organic fibers.
15. [Knitting needle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knitting_needle) (primer). Supports: Independently confirms the lace-to-super-bulky mm needle/hook size table, 1.5mm to 9-15mm.
16. [Red Heart Super Saver Yarn (product spec sheet)](https://www.yarnspirations.com/red-heart-super-saver-yarn/E300.html) (spec sheet). Supports: States a worsted skein's net weight (198g/7oz) and yardage (333m/364yds); States the recommended crochet hook (5.5mm/US I-9) and knitting needle (5mm/US 8) for that skein.