Pile is the raised surface or nap of a

fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is no ...

, consisting of upright loops or strands of

yarn Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. '' Thread'' is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern ...

."Pile." ''The Oxford English Dictionary''. 2nd ed. 1989. Examples of pile

textiles Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

are carpets, corduroy,

velvet Velvet is a type of woven fabric with a dense, even pile (textile), pile that gives it a distinctive soft feel. Historically, velvet was typically made from silk. Modern velvet can be made from silk, linen, cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, silk ...

, plush, and Turkish towels ( terrycloth). The word is derived from Latin ''pilus'' for "

hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...

".Pile
" Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. retrieved from dictionary.com 10 September 2007.

Length and density

The surface and the yarn in these fabrics are also called "pile". In particular "pile length" or "pile depth" refer to the length of the yarn strands (half-length of the loops). Pile length affects and is affected by

knot density Knot density is a traditional quality (business), measure for quality of handmade or knotted-pile carpet, knotted pile carpets. It refers to the number of knots, or knot count, per unit of surface area - typically either per square inch (kpsi) o ...

: "The greater the knot density, the thinner the weft and warp yarns and the more weakly are they twisted; the smaller the density, the coarser are the foundation yarns."Tzareva, Elena (1984).
Rugs & carpets from Central Asia: the Russian collections
', p.12-3. Penguin. . Designs and motifs are also affected by and affect pile depth: "A carpet design with a high knot density is better adapted to intricate and curvilinear designs, which of necessity must have a shorter pile length to avoid looking blurry. A carpet with a lesser knot density is better adapted to bold, geometric designs and can utilize a long pile for softer, more reflective surface that appeals to the sense of touch."Denny, Walter B. (2014). ''How to Read Islamic Carpets'', p.43 & 61. Metropolitan Museum of Art. .

Types

*Loop *Uncut *Cut *Knotted *Tufted *Woven *Cord *Twist

References

{{Rugs and carpets Textiles

Length and density

Types

See also

References