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Cable Laid: In rope days on big ships, heavy lines, such as shrouds and hawsers, were usually made of three three-strand ropes, the cable being of opposite lay, or twist, to the components..."

From which we get "cable knit" sweaters. Not because they are knit like cables but because they look like cables running through the knit. This could be another strand for Of Troy's book. Just a strand, mind you.

I can assure you this book will be no one night strand. It will take a whole day to read it. :)




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the cable being of opposite lay, or twist, to the components..."

when you make yarn, (or rope, or twine or...) you twist it..

the twist can be right handed, (S) or left handed, (Z)--it doesn't matter which way you look at the rope.. the S or Z shape will be there.

the individual strands can then be plyed. 2 or more can be twisted together, to make a multi ply strand, (2 ply, 4 ply, etc)

when you twist the plies together, you can twist them the same way they were first spun, or they can be laid opposite.

so S spun thread can be Z plied.

there are in yarns, terms for the different styles, (i think, but i am not possitive, that "worsted" is S spun, Z plied, (firm, smooth, strong) and "Mule" or "germantown" is Z spun and Z plied. (soft, fluffy, elastic, and prone to abraision)--but i will have to check to make sure this is right.

(i am not into spinning) worsted fabric is made from very fine S spun yarns.

knitted 'cables', in the simplest forms, immitate ropes. more complex cabling is more like the 'knotted' designs that the Celts (and to some degree the scandinavians) used to decorate all manor of things.


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re: the subject

anyone recall all of the times in the past when someone would grouse about giving some consideration to changing the subject line when appropriate?!

(by the way, for the uninitiated "?!" is used by some insiders as the appropriate mark for a rhetorical question. this is NOT standard, but is a long-standing usage actually available in some fonts. the worthless word which names this is "interrobang".)


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What's the problem, tsuwm? I changed the subject line back to casing off cables because we'd moved beyond the thread starter and I'd found information relevant to the thread starter again. All the posts since I changed back have been about that subject. If I screwed up, let me know where, will ya'?!

Interrobangly yours,
WW


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What's the problem, tsuwm? I changed the subject line back to casing off cables because we'd moved beyond the thread starter and I'd found information relevant to the thread starter again. All the posts since I changed back have been about that subject. If I screwed up, let me know where, will ya'?!

Interrobangly yours,
WW


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Windward,

(:yarn) v. (non yarn:)

you need to be more (:non-literal:), or pay more attention to the subject line, one.


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just making sure..
was my first response ample?!


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"?!" is used by some insiders as the appropriate mark for a rhetorical question. It IS? NOW you tell me!


#137585 01/24/05 03:16 AM
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when it comes to twisted fibers, the difference between sewing threads and hawsers for tying up the QEII is simple one of size..and fiber type.

sewing thread is fine cotton, and hawsers are (i dunno!) but they are both made from twisted strands of fiber, that has been plied.
the strands are spun, (one finer, the other coarser)and plied, and the end product is (in construction) basically identical.
(knitted 'cables'(refered to only scantly) are an entirely different subject.)
but from sewing thread to laid cable, is almost fractal.. sewing thread is most certainly made of twisted plies, --anyone who had threaded (or tried to thread) a fine needle knows that!


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[quote]I think the word for cable was 'byssus'.[quote]

There are two entries for byssus in the LSJ. As a masculine word it is an alternative form of buthos meaning depth. As a feminine word it means flax or linen.

See: http://makeashorterlink.com/?X11221F4A and http://makeashorterlink.com/?X13212F4A

Bingley


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