In yarn spinning, an openband twist means the fibers are spun in a right-handed direction. When the yarn is held vertically, the individual fibers slant upward and to the right, matching the central diagonal of the letter Z. This is the standard twist direction for most machine-spun single yarns, dictated by the direction the spindle rotates.
We need to ply these openband singles together using a crossband twist to balance the final yarn.
Also heard as
- Z-twist
- right-handed twist
Do not mix it up with
- Crossband: Openband is a right-handed or Z-twist, while crossband is a left-handed or S-twist.
Related terms
Crossband
Having a left-handed or S-shaped twist in a yarn or rope.
Mule twist
A historic type of cotton yarn spun on a spinning mule.
Water twist
A historic type of tightly spun cotton yarn originally produced on water-powered spinning frames.
Plying
The process of twisting two or more single strands of yarn together to create a stronger, balanced thread.