New World Textiles
PO Box 1484-W
Black Mountain,
NC 28711-1484
828/669-1870

Providing
Organic Cotton
to
Hand Spinners
and
Hand Weavers

Since 1995


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copyright 2003-2009 Eileen Hallman

Terminology & Notes

ALL of the yarns are LACE WEIGHT.

All of the yarns are listed using the cotton system: 
        cotton count/plies 
where the cotton count is 840 yards per pound for a count of 1. 
The higher the count, the thinner the yarn. 
Example: 10/2 cotton 
10 is the count; multiply by 840. 
        10 x 840 = 8400 yards per pound 
Divide by 2 plies to get 4200 yards per pound 
 
 Wraps per inch (wpi) is a measurement helpful to both weavers and knitters. Wrap your yarn around a ruler for an inch and count the number of wraps. This is the same as yarn diameters per inch and is an estimate of the yarn thickness. Again, the higher the number, the thinner the yarn. 

Spin Off magazine gives the following table: 
 

Yarn Style 
WPI
Lace 18+
Fingering 16
Sport 14
Worsted 12

Picture: 10/2 cotton, 40 wraps per inch