Fibre to Fabric

Chapter-3
Cloth is one of our basic needs. Cloth protects us from heat, cold, rain, dust, insects, etc.
Clothes also make one civilized and smart. Clothes are made of cloth. Cloth is also known as
fabric. Fabric is made of fiber.
Types of Fibre
There are two types of fibre, viz. natural and man-made.
Natural fibers: Natural fibers are obtained from plants and animals; such as jute, cotton, wool, silk,
etc.
Man-made fibers: Fibers that are synthesized in laboratory are called man-made fiber, such as
terrylene, terry-cotton, acrylic, etc.
Types of Natural fiber:
Natural fibers can be classified into two types – Plant fiber and Animal fiber.
Plant Fiber: Fiber obtained from plants is called plant fiber. For example – cotton, jute, flex, etc.
Animal Fiber: Fiber obtained from animals is called animal fiber. For example: wool and silk.
WOOL
There are many animals that bear a thick coat of hair on their body. Such animals generally live in
cold climates. Thick coat of hair over the body of such animals traps lot of air and keeps them warm
as air is a bad conductor of heat. It prevents the warmth of the body from escaping and also prevents
the coldness of the surroundings from entering. Thus, thick layer of hair over their body protects
them from harsh cold. For example: Sheep, Goat, Camel, Yak, etc.
Fleece and Wool bearing animals; like sheep, goat, camel, yak, etc. bear two types of hair – coarse
hair and fine-soft under hair. Fine soft hair is found close to the skin in such animals. The fine soft
under hair is called fleece. Fiber for wool is obtained from the fleece (hair) of such animals and
hence such animals are called wool bearing animals.
Many breeds of sheep are found in India. Sheep gives milk and meat; in addition to wool, but are
reared mainly to obtain wool in different parts of the world.
Angora wool is obtained from Angora Goats. Angora Goats are found in hilly regions, such as
Jammu and Kashmir. Pashmina wool is obtained from Pashmina Goats. Yak wool is obtained
commonly in Tibet and Laddakh. Alpaca and Llama are other animals that give wool.
Selective breeding and rearing of sheep: Some breeds of sheep bear only a coat of fine hair. Such
animals are reared by selective breeding. Selective breeding is the process to obtain animals or
plants having special characteristics.
In India, sheep are reared generally in the sates of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttaranchal, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, or the plains of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and
Gujarat.
 Food of sheep: Sheep are herbivores and feed generally on grass and leaves. Apart from grass and
leaves they also feed on corn and oil cakes. Oil cakes are materials left after obtaining of oil from oil
seeds.
Process to obtain wool from sheep: Steps given below are followed to obtain wool from sheep or
other wool bearing animals:
Step 1: Shearing: The fleece (hair) of sheep is shaved off along with a thin layer of skin. In olden
days this was done using pair of metal blades. But now-a-days machine is used to cut off the fleece.
This is similar to shaving of beards or hair. This process is called shearing.
Shearing is generally done in summer so that sheep could get new hair by winter to get protection
against cold.
Step 2: Scouring: Fleece, after shearing, is washed properly to remove dirt and grease. The washing
of fleece; after shearing; is called scouring.
Step 3: Sorting: After scouring, fleece is sorted according to texture. This process is called sorting.
Step 4: After sorting, fluffy fibers; called burr; are picked out from hair. Burr is the fiber that gives
wool.
Step 5: Dyeing: After sorting and picking out of burrs, these are dyed in desired colors.
Step 6: Spinning: The fibers are then straightened, combed and rolled into yarns.
Wool yarn is used in knitting sweaters and woolen cloths, i.e. fabric.
SILK
Silk is another important animal fiber. Silk worm spins silk. Silkworm is reared to obtain silk.
History of Silk:
Silk was discovered in China; around 3500 BC. Silk became a prized possession because of its fine
quality and luster. Originally, it was used by emperors only. It was through trade that silk spread to
other parts of the world over a period of time. Silk was a staple item of trade during ancient times.
Due to this, the ancient trade routes which linked China to other parts of the world are called ‘Silk
Route’.
As per historians, silk was produced in India also. Proof of use of silk during the Indus Valley
Civilization has also been found.
Types of Silk: Different types of silk worm produce different types of silk; in terms of luster and
texture. For example; tassar silk, mooga silk, kosa silk, etc. are produced by different types of silk
moth. Mulberry silk is the most common silk moth.
Rearing of silkworm: Rearing of silkworm is known as SERICULTURE. Silkworms are reared on
mulberry leaves as they feed on mulberry leaves.
 Life cycle of silkworm:

Female silk moth → Lays eggs → After about 14 days eggs are hatched into larva → Grown into
Pupa → Weave a net and enclosed itself → Produce liquid protein from its salivary glands moving
it’s head in the shape of ‘8’ forming cocoon→ Live in the cocoon for some time → After coming
out of cocoon grows into silk moth.
Silk moth to silk: After they are laid by the silk moth; eggs are stored over a clean cloth or paper
strips. When larvae are hatched from eggs, they are kept in clean bamboo trays with fresh leaves of
mulberry. Larvae feed on mulberry leaves for about 20 to 25 days. After that, larvae move into tiny
chambers of bamboo in which they start spinning cocoon. They do it by secreting liquid protein
from their salivary glands. Finally they enclose themselves in cocoon. Cocoons get hardened
because of exposure to air.
Obtaining of silk from cocoon: First of all, cocoons are boiled and then silk fiber is separated out;
using machines. Machine unwinds the silk thread from cocoons. The process by which silk fiber is
obtained is called REELING THE SILK.
Silk thread so obtained is woven into different types of cloths, i.e. fiber.
Q1. Fill in the blanks.
 Wool is obtained from the fleece (hair) of sheep or yak.
 Silk fibres come from cocoons of the silk moth.
 Yak wool is common in Tibet and Ladakh.
 Silk fibres are made of a protein.
 Llama and Alpaca, found in South America, also yield wool.

Q2. True/False
 The fur (hair) on the body of camels is also used as wool. True
 Caterpillars should be collected with bare hands. False
 Weavers weave silk threads into silk cloth. True
 For obtaining silk, moths are reared and their cocoons are collected to get silk threads.True
 A female silk moth lays one egg at a time. False

Q3. Which parts of the black sheep have wool?

Ans. The hairy skin of the sheep has wool.

Q4. What is meant by the white fleece of the lamb?

Ans. The white fleece of the lamb means white color hairy skin.
Q5. What is Sericulture?
Ans. The rearing of silkworms for obtaining silk is called sericulture.

Q6. What is the scientific name of mulberry?

Ans. Scientific name of mulberry is Morus alba.

Q7. Name some animals which give us wool.

Ans. sheep, goat and yak

Q8. Which leads the world in silk production?

Ans. China leads the world in silk production.

Q9. Is silk a good conductor of heat?

Ans. Silk is a protein fibre and is a non-conductor of heat.

Q10. What do you mean by yarn?

Ans. Yarn is a long continuous thread that is made up of fibre.

Q11. Name some Indian breed of sheep.

Ans. Lohi, Rampur bushair, Nali, Bakharwal, Marwari and Patanwadi

Q12. What are the different types of silk?

Ans. mulberry silk, tassar silk, eri silk, mooga silk, etc.

Q13. Define spinning.

Ans. The process of making yarn from fibres is called spinning.

Q14. What is the most common silk moth?

Ans. The most common silk moth is the mulberry silk moth.

Q15. What do you understand by wool?

Ans. Wool is a fibre obtained from sheep, goat, yak and some other animals.

Q16. What do you mean by occupational hazards?

Ans. Risks faced by workers in any industry are called occupational hazards.

Q17. What is cocoon?

Ans. The caterpillar completely covers itself by silk fibres and turns into pupa. This covering is known
as cocoon.
Q18. Where does angora wool come from?
Ans. Angora wool is obtained from angora goats, found in hilly regions such as Jammu and Kashmir.

Q19. What are silkworms?

Ans. The female silk moth lays eggs, from which hatch larvae which are called caterpillars or
silkworms.

Q20. What is weaving?

Ans. Weaving is the process of arranging two sets of yarns together to make a fabric.

Q21. What is Rearing?

Ans. Rearing of animal includes day-to-day care, selective breeding and the raising of animal.

Q22. What is called reeling the silk?

Ans. The process of taking out threads from the cocoon for use as silk is called reeling the silk.

Q23. Why caterpillars need to shed their skin when they grow bigger?
Ans. Caterpillars’ bodies grow but their exoskeleton doesn't grow. Hence, they have to shed their
exoskeletons when they grow bigger.

Q24. What do you mean by shearing?

Ans. The fleece of the sheep along with a thin layer of skin is removed from its body. This process is
called shearing.

Q25. Write the sequence of steps involved in the processing of wool.

Ans. Steps involved in the processing of wool are: Shearing, Scouring, Sorting, Picking out burrs,
Dyeing of fibres, Making of yarn.

Q26. How are Pashmina Shawls made?

Ans. Wool is also obtained from goat hair. The under fur of Kashmiri goat is soft. It is woven into fine
shawls called Pashmina shawls.

Q27. Why sheep have a thick coat of hair?

Ans. Hair trap a lot of air. Air is a poor conductor of heat. So, thick coat of hair keeps these animals
warm.

Q28. What is fibre?

Ans. A fibre is a long strong thread, which is obtained from natural sources like plants or manmade
sources like synthetic fibres.
Q29. How and when shearing is done?
Ans. Machines similar to those used by barbers are used to shave off hair.
Usually, hair are removed during the hot weather.

Q30. Why shearing does not hurt the sheep?

Ans. Shearing does not hurt the sheep because the uppermost layer of the skin is dead. Also, the hair of
sheep grow again just as our hair does.

Q31. What is scouring?

Ans. The sheared skin with hair is thoroughly washed in tanks to remove grease, dust and dirt. This is
called scouring.

Q32. Where does angora wool come from?

Ans. Angora wool is obtained from angora goats, found in hilly regions such as Jammu and Kashmir.

Q33. What is silk route?

Ans. Traders and travellers introduced silk to other countries. The route they travelled is still called the
‘silk route’.

Q34. What do sheep feed on?

Ans. Sheep are herbivores and prefer grass and leaves. Apart from grazing sheep, rearers also feed
them on a mixture of pulses, corn, jowar, oil cakes (material left after taking out oil from seeds) and
minerals.

Q35. Where rearing and breeding of sheep is popular in India?

Ans. Rearing and breeding of sheep is popular in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal,
Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, or the plains of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Q36. What are the two types of fibres that form the fleece of a sheep?

Ans. The hairy skin of the sheep has two types of fibres that form its fleece: (i) the coarse beard hair,
and
(ii) the fine soft under-hair close to the skin.

Q37. Why caterpillars should not be collected with bare hands?

Ans. Caterpillars should not be collected with bare hands because they have thick stingy hair which
may causes irritation to our skin. So, use a paper napkin or a paper to hold a caterpillar.
Q38. Why sorter's job in wool industry is a risky job?
Ans. Wool industry is an important means of livelihood for many people in our country. But sorter’s
job is risky as sometimes they get infected by a bacterium, anthrax, which causes a fatal blood disease
called sorter’s disease.

Q39. What is selective breeding?

Ans. Some breeds of sheep possess only fine under-hair. Their parents are specially chosen to give
birth to sheep which have only soft under hair. This process of selecting parents for obtaining special
characters in their offspring, such as soft under hair in sheep, is termed ‘selective breeding’.

Q40. Complete the following table.

Ans.
S.No. Name of breed Quality of wool State where found
1 Lohi Good quality wool Rajasthan, Punjab
2 Rampur bushair Brown fleece Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh
3 Nali Carpet wool Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab
4 Bakharwal For woollen shawls Jammu and Kashmir
5 Marwari Coarse wool Gujarat
6 Patanwadi For hosiery Gujarat

Q41. Explain the process of obtaining silk from cocoon.

Ans. A pile of cocoons is used for obtaining silk fibres. The cocoons are kept under the sun or boiled or
exposed to steam. The silk fibres separate out. The process of taking out threads from the cocoon for
use as silk is called reeling the silk. Reeling is done in special machines, which unwind the threads or
fibres of silk from the cocoon. Silk fibres are then spun into silk threads, which are woven into silk
cloth by weavers.

Q42. What do you know about discovery of silk?

Ans. The exact time of discovery of silk is perhaps unknown. According to an old Chinese legend, the
empress Si-lung-Chi was asked by the emperor Huang-ti to find the cause of the damaged leaves of
mulberry trees growing in their garden. The empress found white worms eating up mulberry leaves.
She also noticed that they were spinning shiny cocoons around them. Accidentally a cocoon dropped
into her cup of tea and a tangle of delicate threads separated from the cocoon. Silk industry began in
China and was kept a closely guarded secret for hundreds of years.

Q43. Explain various steps involved in the process of making wool?

Ans. Steps
Shearing - The fleece of the sheep along with a thin layer of skin is removed from its body using
shearing machine
 Scouring - The sheared skin with hair is thoroughly washed in tanks to remove grease, dust and dirt. It
is done by machines.
Sorting- The hairy skin is sent to a factory where hair of different textures are separated or sorted.
Picking of Burrs - The small fluffy fibres, called burrs, are picked out from the hair.
Dyeing - The fibres can be dyed in various colours.
Combing and Rolling - The fibres are straightened, combed and rolled into yarn.

Q44. Write a note on rearing silkworm.

Ans. Rearing silkworms:

 A female silk moth lays hundreds of eggs at a time. The eggs are stored carefully on strips of cloth or
paper and sold to silkworm farmers.
 The farmers keep eggs under hygienic conditions and under suitable conditions of temperature and
humidity.
 The eggs are warmed to a suitable temperature for the larvae to hatch from eggs. The larvae are kept in
clean bamboo trays along with freshly chopped mulberry leaves.
 After 25 to 30 days, the caterpillars stop eating and move to a tiny chamber of bamboo in the tray to
spin cocoons.
 Small racks or twigs may be provided in the trays to which cocoons get attached. The caterpillar or
silkworm spins the cocoon inside which develops the silk moth.

1. Australian scientists have invented a way of removing wool from Sheep without shearing.
The new wool harvest technology is called Bioclip.

2. Pure silk is one of the finest natural fi bres and is said to be the “queen of fibres”

3. It is believed that silk was first discovered in China by the Empress Si Ling Chi

4. India is the world’s second largest producer of Silk.

Kancheepuram, Siruvanthadu,Thirubhuvanam and Arani are famous for silk in Tamil Nadu.

5. The types of silk are

1. Mulberry silk 2. Tassar silk 3. Eri silk 4. Muga silk

6. Composition of Honey. Sugar - 75% Water - 17% Minerals - 8%

7. There are three kinds of bees in a bee hive.

a.. The queen bee ( fertile female bee).
b. The drones (fertile malebees)
c. The workers (sterile female bees)
8 The rearing of honey bees to produce honey in large scale is known as apiculture.

9. Silver Revolution : The massive step taken in India to increase egg production by adopting nlightened
practices of poultry is called Silver Revolution.
10. Some of the famous wildlife sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu are edanthangal,Mudumalai, Mundanthurai,
Kalakadu and Kodiakarai.
Blue Cross is a registered animal welfare society. It helps to find homes for uncured animals, and promote
animal protection.

11.The other wool bearing animals are:

a.Yak, reared in Tibet and Ladakh.
b. Angora goats and sheep, reared in Kashmir
c. Camels, reared in Rajasthan
d. Llama, alpaca and vicuna, reared in South America
5. Angora Rabbits, reared in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

12. Properties of Wool:

(i) Hairy skin of a sheep has two types of fibres which form its fleece.
a. The coarse (rough) hair, commonly called beard hair or kemp.
b. The fine soft under hair close to the skin of the sheep, commonly called wool.

(ii)The wool fibre has scales which overlap like shingles on the roof. Furthermore, it is crimpled.

(iii)The number of crimps per centimeter determines the fineness of wool fibre.
A fine wool like merino may have more than 40 crimps per centimeter.
(iv) Kemp or bears hair by contrast has little, if any, scales and no crimp.
They have little ability to bind into yarn.

(v)The scales and crimps in the wool fibres help to “grab” each other so that they stay together.
Because of the crimps, the wool fabrics have greater bulk than any other fabric. They can retain lot of
air, and hence, woolen fabrics are good insulator of heat.

Summary:

1.On account of the crimps, the wool is considerably resilient.

2.It has a high tensile strength and elasticity.
3.It is a light weight and can be easily dyed.
4.It is a heat insulator as it can trap a large volume of air.
5.It can absorb a large number of water.

13. Rearing and Breeding of Sheep:

The chief source of wool is selectively bred domesticated sheep.
Certain breeds of sheep have thick coat of fleece on their body which yield good quality wool in large
quantities.
These sheep are selectively bred, with one parent being a sheep of good breed.
The quality of fleece is also influenced by the nutrition, climate and care.
Sheep are herbivorous animals and graze on all kinds of grasses and leaves which are available in
plenty in summer and rainy seasons.
In winter the sheep are kept indoors and fed on a mixture of dry fodder, leaves, pulses, jowar, corn, and
oil cakes.
14.Processing of Fleece into Woolen Fabrics:
(a) Shearing of Fleece:
The fleece of the sheep along with a very thin layer of skin is removed from its body. This process of
removing fleece from the body of sheep is called Shearing.
The fleece is generally shorn once yearly, in the spring or the early summer.
(b) Wool Manufacturing:
Step 1 : The initial process in the processing of raw wool is sorting of woolen fibres. The fleece is
pulled apart by hand and sorted into separate piles of similar nature, mainly on the basis of fineness,
length, and freedom from defects.
Step 2 : After sorting the similar fibres are cleaned. It is because the raw wool contains an oily
substance, called yolk. The yolk consists of a complex chemical called lanolin (an oily substance used
in preparing cosmetics). In addition to yolk the raw wool contains suint, which is dried perspiration of
sheep. The process of cleaning the raw is called scouring.
Step 3 : The scoured woolen fibres are dried and then disentangled. They are then straightened into
continuous form by a carding machine. The process of drawing woolen fibres into straight continuous
form is called carding.

Uses of Wool:

1.Wool is used for making fabrics, shawls, blankets, carpets, felt (compressed wool) and upholstery.
2.Wool felt is used to cover piano hammers. It is also used to absorb noise in heavy machinery and
stereo speakers.
3.Shoddy is made form the used wool. To make shoddy, the existing wool fabric is cut into small
pieces and then carded. The carded wool is then respun into yarn. Such a yarn is inferior to the fresh
wool and is used for making cheap woolen garments and blankets.

Why a cotton garment cannot keep us as warm in winter?

Cotton clothes are thin and do not have spaces in which air can be trapped. thus Cotton clothes do not
prevents heat coming out of our body.

What is a fibre?
A fibre is a long strong thread, which is obtained from natural sources or man made sources.
Fibres are classified into two types on the basis of their sources. Plant fibres and animal fibres and
synthetic fibres.

The fibres, which are obtained from plants and animals are called natural fibres e.g., jute and wool.

Animal fibres are obtained from animals, e.g., silk and wool.

Those fibres which are made by the human –beings are known as Man-made or Synthetic Fibres, e.g.,
Rayon.

Match the following:

1. Scouring--> Cleaning sheared skin
2. Mulberry leaves-> Food of silkworm
3. Yak -> Wool yielding animal
4. Cocoon -> Yields silk fibers.
Explain the process of making yarn from fiber ?
The process of making yarn from fiber is called spinning. In this process,fibers from a mass of cotton
wool are drawn out and twisted. this brings the fibers together to from a Yarn.

Why sheep have a thick coat of hair?

Thick coat of hair trap a lot of air. Air is a poor conductor of heat, So, hair keeps sheep warm

What are the different sources of wool?

The fleece of sheep is not the only source of wool. Angora wool is obtained from angora goats. The fur
(hair) on the body of camels is also used as wool like Llama and Alpaca.

Name the some Indian bread of sheep

1. Lohi 2. Rampur bushair 3 . Nali 4. Bakharwal 5. Marwari 6. Patanwadi

Which parts of the black sheep have wool?

The hairy skin called fleece have wool in black sheep.

What is meant by the white fleece of the lamb?

White fleece means the hairy skin which is white in colour.

What is wool?
The soft, curly fibres obtained from the fleece of sheep, goat and yak etc., are known as wool.

What is selective breeding?

Certain breeds of sheep have thick coat of hair on their body which yields good quality wool in large
quantities. As these sheep are “selectively bred” with one parent being a sheep of good breed.
The process of selecting parents for obtaining special characters in their offspring is known as
selective breeding.

Name the protein which is the chief component of wool fibres.

Keratin is the chief component of wool fibres

What is shearing? How it is done?

The process of removing the fleece of the sheep along with a thin layer of skin is from its body is
called shearing. It is done by using shearing machine

Which animal material is used to weave fine, soft shawls called Pashmina shawls?
The under fur of Kashmiri goat is used to weave fine, soft shawls called Pashmina shawls.

Why shearing of wool done only in summer?

Usually shearing of wool is done only in summer as sheep do not to survive without their protective
coat of hair in winter.

Why wool yielding animals have a thick coat of hair?

A thick coat of hair helps in trappinga lot of air. As, air is a poor conductor of heat, it keep these
animals warm.
Does shearing does hurt the sheep?
Shearing does not hurt the sheep because the uppermost layer of the skin is dead. Also, the hair of
sheep grows again just as our hair does.

What is scouring?
The sheared skin with hair is thoroughly washed in tanks to remove grease, dust and dirt. This is
known as scouring.

How we get wood fibres from sheep?

The processing of fibres into wool involves the following steps:
Step I: Shearing: - At first hair are removed using shearing machine
Step II: scouring : - Hair is washed in tanks to remove grease, dust and dirt. This process is called
scouring.
Step III: After scouring, sorting of hair is done on the basic of different textures
Step IV: The small fluffy fibres, called burrs, are picked out from the hair
Step V: The fibres then dyed in various colours, according to choice
Step VI: The coloured fibres are straightened, combed and rolled into yarn

What are the main hazards of wool industry?

Workers in wool industry get infected by a bacterium, anthrax, which causes a fatal blood disease
called sorter’s disease

What is sericulture?
The rearing of silkworms for obtaining silk is called sericulture

Discuss the process of obtaining silk?

For obtaining silk, moths are reared and their cocoons are collected to get silk threads.
The cocoons are boiled to separate out silk fibres from cocoon.
Threads obtain from the cocoon spun into silk threads, which are woven into silk cloth by weavers.
The process of taking out threads from the cocoon for use as silk is called reeling the silk
Why caterpillars should not be collected with bare hands?
Caterpillars should not be collected with bare hands because skin of caterpillars may cause allergy.

Why caterpillars need to shed their skin when they grow bigger?
The caterpillars eat their own shed skin during their growing stage and have no other food option. So
they need to shed their skin when they grow bigger enter the next stage of its life history called pupa.

Why does silk have different varieties?

Silk-producing moth eats up different kinds of leaves, which accounts for the different varieties of
silk. Thus, tassar silk, mooga silk, kosa silk, etc., are obtained from cocoons spun by different types of
moths.

Fill in the blanks-

(i) -- China --is the largest producer of silk.
(ii) Silk is a – poor ---conductor of heat.
(iii) – Suint ---is a dried perspiration found in raw wool.
(iv) A-- yarn--is a long continuous thread.

Choose the True statements

(a) Yarn is made of fibers
(b) Spinning is a process of making fibers
(c) Jute is the outer covering of coconut.
(d) The process of removing seed from cotton called ginning
(e) Weaving yarn makes a piece of fabric
(f) Silk fiber is obtained from the stem of a plant
(g) Polyester is a natural fiber
(h) The fleece are combed to remove Burrs
(i) Muga is the strongest variety of Wool or Silk

True or false
(a) Yarn is made of fibers.(True)
(d) The process of removing seed from cotton called ginning.(True)
(e) Weaving yarn makes a piece of fabric.(True)
(h) The fleece are combed to remove Burrs.(True)
(i) Muga is the strongest variety of Silk

Define: weaving, ginning, spinning

The process of arranging two sets of yarns together to make a fabric is called weaving.
The process of making yarn from fibres is called spinning.
Cotton fibres are separated from the seeds by combing this process is called ginning