Fabric-Evoked Prickle in Worsted Spun Single Jersey Fabrics Part I: The Role of Fiber End Diameter Characteristics

Fabric-evoked prickle is studied in a range of worsted spun single jersey knitted wool fabrics made from wools with different fiber diameter characteristics. Relative prickle sensation in these fabrics can be predicted from the density of coarse fiber ends per unit area of fabric, with the percentage of fiber ends greater than 32 μm in diameter being the key factor. Naturally occurring variations in the percentages of coarse fiber ends at a given mean fiber diameter found in individual fleeces can lead to significant differences in fabric-evoked prickle.