Pile is the raised surface or nap of a fabric, consisting of upright loops or strands of yarn."Pile." The Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. Examples of pile textiles are carpets, corduroy, velvet, plush, and Turkish towels (terrycloth)."pile", Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. Retrieved 10 September 2007. The word is derived from Latin pilus for "hair"."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). High pile refers to longer strands and low pile refers to shorter strands.
Pile length affects and is affected by knot density: "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
See also Carpet pile Pile weave Polar fleece Textile pilling
References