Denier is the weight-per-unit-length of the yarn. (It is numerically equal to the weight, in grams, of 9,000 metres of yarn. Thus 9,000 metres of 15 denier nylon, used in nylon stockings, weighs 15 g/0.5 oz, and in this case the thickness of thread would be 0.00425 mm/0.0017 in.) The lower the denier, the lighter and finer the yarn, and the sheerer the garment. Hose knit of higher denier yarns tend to be more durable. An average hair from the human head is about 50 denier. The lowest denier nylon ever produced for stockings was 6 denier which was exhibited at the Nylon Fair in London in 1956
The total number of needles used in knitting a sock or sheer hosiery product. The higher the needle count the closer the stitches and the finer the fabric. 400 needles is the norm for Micromesh stockings, but, curiously, a stocking knitted with 200 needles would have a more sheer appearance because the stitches would be further apart
The measurement of the distance between needles in a knitting machine. Two-thirds of the gauge equals the number of needles per inch. For example, on a 60 gauge machine there are 60 needles to 1.5 inches (37mm). Thus the lower the number, the looser the knit, and the stocking is likely to be more sheer.
A flat-topped (or squared-off) reinforced heel extending slightly up the back of the leg in a fully-fashioned stocking.
Yarn made of one single filament of fibre. We use this term to define a non-stretch nylon thread.
The values in this column indicate the MAXIMUM quantity available for a specific item.
