Cotton

Cotton is a soft, strong, and comfortable fibre, perfect for making elegant and beautiful textiles. From everyday clothes like shirts, jeans and knitwear to luxurious household products like towels and bedding, cotton is one of the most popular and much-loved fabric choices. It is also one of the oldest fabrics in the world!

 

By reading this guide, you will explore how cotton is grown and processed, what its premier qualities are, and how to pick the best cotton products. You will learn about different cotton types, the ecological impact of cotton farming, and the right way to clean and dry your cotton products. 

Cotton is one of nature's finest fibres that originates from the cotton plant. This perennial shrub grows in tropical and subtropical regions all over the globe, producing a seed pod called boll. The cotton bolls contain seeds that grow moist fibres, which then burst forth from the boll, ready to be harvested and converted into fabric.

Soft, fluffy, and versatile - cotton fibre is the perfect material for a vast range of textiles and clothing. Everyone loves having cotton products in their homes and wardrobes.

 

How Is Cotton Processed?

To produce fabric from cotton, the fibre undergoes several processing stages, including cleaning, carding, spinning, and weaving or knitting. Let's take a closer look at these steps.

 

Harvesting

Depending on the cotton type and the region, the cotton seeds are harvested by hand or machine when they are completely mature and dry. Usually, the best season to harvest cotton is in autumn.

 

Cleaning

Once the cotton is harvested, it goes through a meticulous cleaning process with machines like cotton gins that remove impurities, such as dirt, leaves, and seeds. 

 

Carding

Clean cotton fibres are now ready for the carding stage. Carding is the process that separates, gets rid of any remaining impurities, and aligns the fibres. Carding machines are essential at this stage as they feature rollers that artfully comb the fibres.

 

Spinning

Following carding, fibre strands turn into yarn with the help of specialised spinning machines that craft fabrics of specific thickness and strength according to the intended use.

 

Weaving or Knitting

After spinning, the yarn is knitted or woven into fabric by using knitting machines or looms. The fabric is then dyed or printed to match the required specifications.

 

Finishing

The last step in the cotton-making process is finishing the cotton fabric with great attention to detail, so that it receives the desired properties: softness, wrinkle resistance, and water repellency.

Cotton does not come in just one type. You may choose between upland cotton, Egyptian cotton or organic cotton. Each cotton type comes with its own unique qualities and characteristics. Here are the most popular cotton kinds.

Upland Cotton

Upland cotton is the most widely known and used cotton variety in the world. It accounts for about 90% of global cotton. It has strong fibres and high yield, suitable for making various textiles, from bedding to denim to T-shirts.

 

Pima Cotton

Prima cotton is renowned for its strong, long, high-quality fibres, ideal for making luxury textiles, high-end clothing, and bedding. It is mainly grown in the southwestern United States, Peru, Israel, and Australia.  

 

Egyptian Cotton

Egyptian cotton is sought-after for its long, strong, and highly absorbent fibres. It took its name from its country of origin, Egypt. Its luxurious fabric makes it an excellent choice for crafting luxury textiles.

 

Organic Cotton

Organic cotton uses natural cotton seeds from crops grown without fertilisers or synthetic pesticides. It is an environmentally-friendly choice for products like bed linen, clothing, towels and underwear, loved by many consumers.

 

Supima Cotton

Grown locally in the USA, this type of Pima cotton is renowned for its strength, softness, and long-staple fibres. It is the perfect cotton type for creating luxury bedding and high-end clothing.

Where Our Cotton Is Sourced From? 

When looking for a yarn that will comfortably fit in to your everyday wardrobe and provide piece of mind knowing that it won’t require an intense care process, cotton may be the yarn for you.

 

Cotton can only be grown in tropical climates and so working with our India based cotton spinner, we’re able to produce high quality, uber-soft cotton that is spun on the latest in industry technology. Our cotton knitwear is manufactured in our India based, family-run factory and allows us to offer fair and transparent knitwear, cutting out the middleman and working directly with our customers.

We create classic and contemporary styles in a range of bright and muted colours and offer an assortment of ultra-fine, midweight and heavyweight cotton pieces. 

 

Cotton is an incredibly versatile, all-natural fabric used for crafting unique, soft, high-quality clothing, bedding, and home textile products. If you want to make the most out of your cotton-made clothes and bed linen, ensure you take proper care of them.