Bradford system

The Bradford system (English Worsted Yarn Count System or spinning count or Bradford count) is a way to assess the quality of wool.

English wool handlers in the city of Bradford described wool by estimating how many 560-yard (=512m) hanks of single strand yarn could be made by a good spinner from a pound (0,9kg) of "top”(cleaned combed wool).

The finer the average diameter of a single wool fiber, the more hanks could be spun.

Example: a pound of “64s” gives 64 hanks of 512 meters.

The finest wool can give about 80 hanks and the strongest about 36.

The Bradford system (English Worsted Yarn Count System or spinning count or Bradford count) is a way to assess the quality of wool.

English wool handlers in the city of Bradford described wool by estimating how many 560-yard (=512m) hanks of single strand yarn could be made by a good spinner from a pound (0,9kg) of "top”(cleaned combed wool).

The finer the average diameter of a single wool fiber, the more hanks could be spun.

Example: a pound of “64s” gives 64 hanks of 512 meters. The finest wool can give about 80 hanks and the strongest about 36.The finest wool can give about 80 hanks and the strongest about 36.

Personal conclusion:

Improving the knowledge for wool measurements. As it is not objective measurement, it is more likely to get replaced by a more accurate system.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradford_system

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