FABRICS-FACTS FOR CONSUMERS 
 
 
fiber to a branch, and by a motion of its head, throws the thread in 
irregular loops, somewhat like a figure eight. At first, it can be seen 
through the gauzy thread, but later is lost to view. It continues 
working until the cocoon is completed with the worm inside. The 
cocoons are then gathered and heated to destroy the chrysalis; then 
sorted, and those whose color, fineness and luster agree, are kept 
together. Before reeling the silk, the cocoons are dropped into hot 
water to loosen the gum which has held the fibers. All silk unfit for 
reeling is wound off, and then, with a brush, the reeler finds a con- 
tinuous end from each cocoon. These he passes through an agate 
ring, twists them with a fiber coming from another ring, separates 
them again, and passes them through another ring to the reel, where 
they are wound into a skein. This silk is harsh, due to the gum 
which still adheres to it. The bundles of these skeins as sent to the 
manufacturer are called books. The further preparation of the silk 
at the factory is called throwing. Several strands of silk have 
already been twisted in making the skein, but the strand is not yet 
strong enough for weaving. The raw silk is wound from the skeins 
on to bobbins, and then cleaned so as to rid it of knots or irregular- 
ities. The threads from several bobbins are then united to form one, 
which is spun to give it the necessary twist. Two kinds of threads 
are made: organzine, used for warp, two threads twisted in opposite 
directions, then together, but twisted so tight that the luster is lost.

Tram is the filling thread in silk cloth, made of two or more threads 
having no twist, which are put together and twisted enough to hold 
for the weaving process. The silk is then cleaned, that is, boiled off 
to remove all the gum; but washed in a warm solution, if only part 
of the gum is to be removed. The silk is chemically bleached if all 
the coloring matter is to be removed. The waste silk which cannot 
be reeled is washed, then carded and spun in a thread; it is called 
spun silk, in contradistinction to the other. Experimentation has 
resulted in the production of substitutes for silk of varying values. 
Silk is given color either by yarn or piece dyeing or by printing. 
                           WEAVING 
    Weaving is the process of interlacing threads by which cloth is 
made. Two sets of threads are used, called: 1. Warp, and 2. Woof 
or filling; the weaving is accomplished by a machine called a loom, 
of which there are two kinds, 1. Hand, and 2. Power loom. 
    Definitions.-Warp, lengthwise threads, which carry throughout 
the length of a piece of cloth. 
 
 
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