Fabric-Evoked Prickle in Worsted Spun Single Jersey Fabrics Part II: The Role of Fiber Length, Yarn Count, and Fabric Cover Factor

Fabric-evoked prickle is studied in a range of jersey knitted wool fabrics made from worsted spun yarn. The existing predictive model of relative prickliness based on earlier studies of wools with diameter characteristics is extended and can quantitatively account for changes in mean fiber length, yarn count, and fabric cover factor. For all these variables, relative prickle sensation can be predicted from the density of coarse fiber ends per unit area of fabric. It is thus possible to compare the relative importance of these variables. Within the commercial range, the mean fiber diameter of a wool remains the most important factor affecting fabric-evoked prickle.