Wadding

A lofty sheet of fibres, which may be bonded, used for padding, stuffing, or packing.

Wadding thread

Additional warp or weft used in a fabric for the purposes of increasing its weight, bulk, firmness, or the prominence of the design. These threads are not visible on the fabric face.

Waffle piqu'e

A fancy or figured fabric of piqu'e structure. Typical construction (cotton): Warp Weft 28 ends per cm of 15tex face 38 picks per em in a ratio of 14 ends per em of 21tex stitching 10 face picks of 12tex to 2 wadding picks of 30tex

Waistband

A narrow band of material around the waist of a garment.
note.. It may consist of cloth folded double and attached to the waist or it may be produced integrally with the garment. Depending on garment style, the waistband may be stabilised or elasticated.

Wale

1. In knit fabrics a column of loops lying lengthwise in the fabric. The number of wales per inch is a measure of the fineness of the fabric. 2. In woven fabrics one of a series of ribs cords etc. running either warpwise or fillingwise.

Wale (knitting)

A column of loops along the length of a fabric.

Wale (lace)

The distance between the centres of two adjacent pillars.

Wale density (knitted fabric)

The number of visible loops per unit length measured along a course.
note 1: The traditional unit has been wales per inch but the value is now expressed as wales per cm.
note 2.. In certain constructions, the number of loops visible in one course may be different from that in another, and there may also be different numbers on the back and front of the fabric. Consequently, in such constructions, it is necessary to specify where the count is made.

Wale spirality (weft knitting)

A distortion of a circular-knitted fabric in which the wales follow a spiral path around the axis of the tube. Spirality is caused by the use of yam that is twist-lively, the direction and degree of spirality being determined by the direction and degree of twist liveliness. A comparable defect occurs in flat-knitted fabric. (See also course spirality (weft knitting).)

Wall (fibre)

The solid portion of the cotton fibre, divided into two parts:
(i) primary wall: a thin skin on the surface of the fibre;
(ii) secondary wall: the main part of the solid part of the fibre composed of layers of cellulose.

Wall thickness, apparent

The apparent width of a fibre wall as seen when fibres are examined under a microscope.
note., In the cotton fibre maturity test, the apparent wall thickness is assessed visually at the widest part of the fibres as a fraction of the maximum ribbon width.

Warp

1.Threads lengthways in a fabric as woven.
2.A number of threads in long lengths and approximately parallel, in various forms intendedfor weaving, knitting, doubling, sizing, dyeing, or lace-making.
note. To arrange threads in long lengths parallel to one another preparatory to further processing.
note.. In addition to beaming the following methods of warping are practised: ball warping, cross-ball warping, and chain warping. The primary stage of these methods of warping is the withdrawal of ends from a warping creel and their assembly in rope form, a form that may conveniently be used for wet processing. For convenience of handling, this rope may be
(i) wound into a ball (ball warping),
(ii) machine-wound on to a wooden roller into a cross-ball cheese (cross-ball or cheese warping), or
(iii) shortened into a link chain (chain winping). A number of these ropes may be assembled into a complete warp on a beam in a dressing frame, or may be split adddressed and incorporated in warps made by other methods. (See also section warping.)

Warp (]ace machines)

Parallel threads wound in sheet form on to a warp beam to provide the main structural threads.

Warp Beam

A large spool or flanged cylinder around which the warp threads or ends are wound in a uniform and parallel arrangement. (Also see BEAM.)

Warp beam back frame (narrow fabrics)

A frame behind a narrow fabric weaving machine, which holds the warps and their tensioning devices.