Paper Yarn

Paper yarns usually find application in:

• high fasion items
  
   
• handicraft items

Paper yarns are used for knitting, hand-knitting and craft use. Weaving application is Possible if the yarn is twisted to make it stronger. 

Traditional Materials Find New Application in Clothing

The fashion world is constantly seeking and latching onto new materials. The folk fashion craze spurred demand for natural, handmade-looking textiles that exude warmth, while synthetic fabrics with a sleek look have also recently been popular. One of the hot items is fabrics made from traditional Japanese materials, such as bamboo and washi (handmade Japanese paper).
 

A spotlight grabber in Tokyo presented a series of coats and pants made of fabric containing bamboo fibers. Paper clothing is also coming out. Apparel makers began offering summer sweaters knitted from fibers made of washi, and they plan to expand their lineups of washi clothing for heavier fall fashions too. Jackets, sweaters, and pants for men are also available. The 100% washi fabric is light and breathable and feels a lot like linen. This fabric also absorbs dust and odors, as evidenced by the fact that it is used as filters in air-purifying devices.
 

Washi and bamboo are not the only traditional materials being used in clothing. Jackets and pants made of a new materials like polyester charcoal have also come up. The charcoal is pulverized, then mixed into a polyester solution to produce an exceptionally resilient, lustrous fabric that also reportedly has deodorizing properties.

The Road to Paper Clothes

Research toward creating paper clothing has been under way in Japan for a long time now, though it has never before reached the practical application stage. In February 2000, 10 artisans and designers who belong to a washi research group held an exhibition exploring the possibilities of washi at a gallery in Kagoshima Prefecture. The articles on display included clothing, such as jackets colored with dyes made from paper mulberry (one of the raw materials commonly used to make washi). The clothing, which appears stiff but feels soft and warm, got high marks.

In March 1999 a fashion show featuring clothing made of washi was held in Kochi Prefecture. Washi jeans were among the articles that appeared in the show, which was titled "The Body of Washi." One would never know, just by looking at these clothes, that they are made of paper.
 

The merits of paper for use in textile fibers are their breatheability (ideal for humid summers), the ease of processing them into fabric, their high functionality, and their beauty. The fashion world's fascination with all things Oriental and Japanese continues unabated, and washi product are attracting the interest of a growing number of designers. More and more of this material is expected to find its way onto store shelves as time goes by.