Tow linen is made from the short fibres left after the long flax fibres have been removed to be spun into line linen. The resulting yarn has a more textured appearance and feel and is not consistent in thickness as slubs are made with the shorter fibres as it is spun.
Because it has less strength under tension tow linen is more often used as a weft but can be used as a warp if care is taken to avoid abrasion by the reed.
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