Research and Markets has announced the addition of Textiles Intelligence's new report "Survey of the European Yarn Fairs for Spring/Summer 2010" to their offering.

Against a backdrop of recession, the European yarn fairs for the spring/summer 2010 season were affected by declines in numbers of visitors and trade was difficult. With the future in doubt, fabric manufacturers restricted their buying of new yarn stocks to their immediate needs. Italian spinners, in particular, have been suffering from falling sales since well before the start of the latest general economic downturn.

Nonetheless, visitors to the fairs were able to detect some positive signs for the future. The quality and ingenuity of yarns on offer showed that many spinners were tackling the current situation in an aggressive way, by intensifying investment in research, creativity and innovation. For example, techniques have been developed which allow substances or fragrances to be released from microcapsules bonded to the yarns. A yarn treatment devised by a Swiss spinner has revolutionised the dyeing process, allowing fabric manufacturers and garment makers to cut down the time and expense needed to produce tonal patterns and colour mixtures. Spinners have also increased their efforts to develop fibres from sustainable sources—including wood chips, cornstarch, milk and the castor oil plant. Spinners are also trying to correct the common impression that "eco" implies "rustic" or "crafty" by demonstrating that organic and sustainably grown yarns have their own luxury and sophistication.

Blends and mixes of different natural fibres were a dominant feature of fairs for the spring/summer 2010 season. Cotton blended with silk and silk blended with linen were both popular. One sector of the industry appears to have escaped the effects of the downturn altogether. Hand knitting usually does well during an economic crisis, and spinners offering yarns for hand knitting reported doing good business.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ed4079/survey_of_the_euro

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