NEW YORK CITY — August 13, 2019 — An estimated 40 million Americans are active knitters and the trend is on the rise with a growing number of Americans trying their hands at a variety of homemade projects. Red Heart® has launched Red Heart Heat Wave™, a heat generating yarn™ that takes wearable tech to warmer temperatures. Additionally, Bernat® has introduced Bernat Alize® EZ Wool™, a line of pre-looped, needleless yarns, which is changing the way consumers approach knitting. Now, millions with varying levels of knitting experience, can create custom, handmade and cozy items and accessories including blankets, throws, pillows, hats, sweaters, gloves and more.

Powered by UV rays, Red Heart Heatwave is heat generating thanks to patented fibers that have the ability to become up to 12-degrees warmer, even on a cloudy day, without having to charge up or plug in thanks to its solar-activated fibers. This new wearable technology, made in the USA, features a classic and versatile color wheel, perfect for updating outdoor gear including hats, gloves, scarves and blankets to help stay warm during daily commutes, sporting events, outdoor activities and even walking the dog. Red Heart Heatwave provides knitters and crocheters new opportunities to be inspired to stitch.

“We are officially disrupting the knitting industry. Our revolutionary patented heat generating yarn allows stitchers to create personalized functional items to stay warm and look cool this season,” said Julia Jackson, new product lead at Yarnspirations.com. “We are continuously looking for the newest and latest innovations to meet consumer needs and enhance daily activities.”

Additionally, a brand-new type of yarn is being introduced to lure new consumers to get crafty. First-time knitters, including men and kids, can explore their creativity with Bernat Alize EZ Wool that makes handmade yarn projects fast and easy with pre-looped yarn, no needles or hooks required. EZ to use yarn will have consumers knitting in minutes, not days and is so simple anyone can master it. Projects can be completed in half the time of traditional knitting without the years of prior experience necessary, giving anyone the satisfaction and pride of creating a quality, handmade project. EZ Wool is perfect for creating those chunky and on-trend sweaters, scarves, blankets, pillows and more. In chenille and wool blends, the prelooped yarn is available in a rainbow of colors.

“We have now made knitting easy and fun for the whole family with the introduction of Bernat Alize EZ Wool which allows anyone to imagine and create handmade accessories, home goods and gifts faster than ever,” Jackson said. “This latest innovation in the yarn space is perfect for crafters and new knitters who will now be able to get the immediate satisfaction of completing quality projects without needles within hours.”

Red Heart Heat Wave and Bernat Alize EZ Wool are both now available in-store and online at JOANN and will be available online for purchase in September at Yarnspirations.com

Posted August 14, 2019

Source: Red Heart; Bernat

USTER, Switzerland — August 14, 2019 — Since 2018, USTER quality systems have included fabric inspection, and ITMA 2019 saw the launch of the first major innovation to be developed since the acquisition of automatic vision inspection company Elbit Visions Systems (EVS).

Fabric makers may already be familiar with the solutions USTER® EVS Q-BAR, FABRIQ VISION and FABRIQ SHADE, which today are used worldwide to inspect upwards of 60 million meters of fabric per day. At ITMA in Barcelona, USTER® Q-BAR 2 and USTER® FABRIQ EXPERT were launched and explained to show visitors.

For fabric manufacturers, the competitive nature of the textile market means that reliable quality is a requirement, and defects are unacceptable to their customers. USTER FABRIQ EXPERT and USTER Q-BAR 2 aim to support textile mills in guaranteeing the delivery of the desired roll quality, using the best technology available for monitoring and improving production at the earliest-possible stage.

That includes locating any defects quickly, supporting identification of the root causes and initiating corrective action. The expertise of EVS technology — with intelligent visual detection and fault-recognition algorithms — is now enhanced by USTER’s overall experience in quality management systems for the wider textile industry.

Fault detection with direct impact on business success

USTER Q-BAR 2 represents the next generation of the original on-loom monitoring and inspection system, offering user-friendly design and operational improvements for weaving. An inspiring USTER design built on years of EVS experience brings many advantages, including indication of the defect location, and better access to make maintenance tasks easier.

The USTER Q-BAR 2 is positioned immediately behind the reed on each machine — the ideal location for earliest detection of fabric defects. This means the operator can respond quickly to alarms and stop signals, to correct problems immediately and prevent quality issues from continuing, thus minimizing material waste. A red LED guides the operator to the exact position of defects, and lights at the side of the unit show system status. Fabric faults are categorized and saved, creating a ‘defect map’ for each roll which can be recalled and reviewed later via the intuitive touchscreen. The system reduces the need for post-weaving inspection for most applications.

USTER Q-BAR is already making a significant impact on the business success of users. In one example, a U.S. technical textiles producer reports that it has increased sales volumes through the ability to guarantee seamless fabrics to its customers. This firm produces base-layer material for coating, an application in which defects larger than 9 inches are unacceptable, as they would require cutting and seaming. The advantage of USTER Q-BAR 2 here is the rapid stop of weaving when it identifies a defect — before it reaches the critical size for the subsequent processes.

Full on-loom quality transparency

USTER FABRIQ EXPERT is the key to early detection of quality issues, based on comprehensive quality data gathered during on-loom inspection of fabrics. It provides weavers with an overview of their entire installation, via USTER Q-BAR 2 systems fitted over each machine.

The quality data can be used to compare the performance of the same styles on different machines, for example. Another benefit is an indication of when to replace spare parts, preventing faults which could occur with worn-out parts. Importantly, this knowledge is a considerable scale-up on the ‘normal’ weaving operator’s ability to feedback observations over several looms. The whole-mill picture from USTER FABRIQ EXPERT makes the results more representative of the true picture in the mill.

It follows the USTER ‘Think Quality’ concept — supporting customers to make informed decisions for long-term business success through increased productive efficiency and effective quality management.

Quality partner for fabric producers

Combining the industry-leading technology of automated vision-based inspection with USTER’s unrivalled stature in quality management systems and services creates the perfect ‘dream team’ for fabric manufacturers. They can now have access to highly-effective automated fault detection, as well as total transparency of weaving quality performance, provided during on-loom inspection. USTER Fabric Inspection offers real benefits for weavers in terms of both customer satisfaction and their own long-term business success.

Posted August 14, 2019

Source: Uster Technologies AG

WASHINGTON — August 13, 2019 — The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber though finished sewn products, issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Trade Representative Office’s (USTR) announcement regarding the next steps for the proposed 10 percent tariff on approximately $300 billion of Chinese imports.  NCTO testified most recently on June 20, urging the administration to move forward with tariffs on finished apparel and home textile products.

“As U.S. manufacturers that have suffered enormously from China’s illegal IPR activities and state-sponsored export subsidies, we strongly support the administration’s decision to move forward with this next tranche of 301 retaliatory tariffs that will finally cover a significant portion of China’s exports in our sector,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas.

She continued: “We also believe that the inclusion of products that are within significant Chinese employment sectors like finished apparel, will substantially increase the administration’s negotiating leverage with the Chinese to address systemic trade reforms that are needed. Any such settlement must include short-and long-term reforms that eliminate China’s predatory trade practices in key industrial sectors across the board, such as textiles and apparel.

We are at a critical juncture in terms of global economic trading patterns.  The current trade negotiations with China offer the best opportunity in a generation to restore fairness and market- based competitiveness to a system that has been overwhelmed by China’s illegal and state-planned effort to dominate global manufacturing.

While we are pleased with today’s announced action, we remain concerned that certain inputs already vetted by the administration and removed from previous retaliatory tariff lists remain on this list for proposed duties. We have long argued that adding tariffs on imports of manufacturing inputs that are not made in the U.S. in effect raises the cost for American companies. We urge the administration to uphold these previous exclusions. We also continue to request that the administration include de minimis shipments below $800 on the retaliatory list. The provision creates a significant loophole at a time when the administration is seeking to address China’s unfair trade practices.”

NCTO is a Washington-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers.

• U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018.
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018.
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018.
• Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

Posted August 13, 2019

Source: The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO)