The thread of learning something new every day
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<p>Today I've been learning about cotton bedsheets. What I learned (perhaps not perfectly)....</p>
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<p>1. Cotton. There are basically three varieties of cotton - American Upland, Pima (or Supima), and Egyptian. American Upland is generally a shorter staple cotton (i.e. short fibres in the same way that softwood radiata pine has short fibres making its pulp good for producing newsprint). If you pick up some twenty buck cotton sheets from the warehouse you'll be getting American Upland cotton. Pima is a fine, long staple cotton (like a hardwood eucalyptus used to make fine grade papers). Egyptian cotton is the longest and finest staple. There's nothing wrong with the first two. Pima's real,real good shit. But, Egyptian cotton is a fucking madman. When you slip between those sheets you'll know where that extra money went.</p>
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<p>2. Thread count. That's the number of threads woven per square inch (warp and weft). The more threads per square inch, the softer the fabric will be - seemingly to a point. My research suggests that the maximum number of single-ply threads that can be woven into a square inch is 500-600. But, extra threads can be woven into the weft (they're called "picks"). Picks will increase the thread count into the thousands and increase the weight and density of the fabric, but not the overall quality of the fabric.</p>
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<p>3. Weave. Seems like there's three types of weave used in sheets. Oxford (which some of you will know from Oxford cotton shirts - heavy, soft and hard wearing). But for sheets, more usually, the weaves are Percale or Sateen. Percale is a plain weave where the threads cross over one-another under and over to produce a fine and more durable finish. Sateen is a satin weave in which warp threads are interlaced with filling threads to create a more lustrous feel.</p>
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<p>4. Origin. Italy is apparently the home of the most top-notch sheets. If not going Italian then other European is the next best.</p>
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<p>Conclusion. Wait to buy your sheets until the New Year's half price sales. Then storm into the higher end sheets and pick up a set of 600 thread Egyptian cotton sateen sheets (a reasonable double-queen-king set fitting this description (but made in China) probably retails for $250-300 - grab it at $125-150) and you'll never go back (though maybe leave the hyper-expensive Italian ones for the bucket list).</p> -
<p>Great post Chris B. The higher end sheets last heaps longer and don't pill as quickly either. God forbid the missus finds out about Italian sheets being top drawer... 'we' don't buy anything less than 500/count Egyptian sheets these days. One must keep up with the Fa'atau's in Porirua after all!! </p>
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"True-love"?<br><br>Hooroo are you serious mate? You need to take a few more 'harden the fuck up, I'm a complete bogan (current favourite epithet)' pills.<br><br>You'll be telling us your secrets about the penis beaker next.
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<p>Farmers had 600 thread Egyptian cotton percale king size sheet sets for $120/set weekend before last. I bought two sets</p>
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<p>Weekend before I got a hideous high quality king size summer weight eiderdown marked down from $200 - $40 at the North Harbour Business Assoc 1 day sale</p>
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<p>Doesn't matter that its hideous as I'm using it as the inner for a King size Tivaevae duvet cover I bought in Raro</p>
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<p>Total outlay $580 for the sort of luxury you would get in a 5*+ hotel.</p>
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<p>I am a domestic god! :whistle:</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="dogmeat" data-cid="464253" data-time="1417385481">
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<p>Farmers had 600 thread Egyptian cotton percale king size sheet sets for $120/set weekend before last. I bought two sets</p>
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<p>Weekend before I got a hideous high quality king size summer weight eiderdown marked down from $200 - $40 at the North Harbour Business Assoc 1 day sale</p>
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<p>Doesn't matter that its hideous as I'm using it as the inner for a King size Tivaevae duvet cover I bought in Raro</p>
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<p>Total outlay $580 for the sort of luxury you would get in a 5*+ hotel.</p>
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<p>I am a domestic god! :whistle:</p>
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<p>I got a 600 thread Egyptian cotton sateen sheet set from Farmers last week at half price and am planning to hit the boxing day sales (which I've never done before) for more. </p> -
<p>you guys are massive homos</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="464265" data-time="1417390194">
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<p>you guys are massive homos</p>
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<p>Au contraire. I wish I'd known this stuff in my 20s - I had some massively shagable flatmates whom I'm sure could have been lured to try the difference between the sheets. :)</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="464273" data-time="1417391982">
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<p>Au contraire. I wish I'd known this stuff in my 20s - I had some massively shagable flatmates whom I'm sure could have been lured to try the difference between the sheets. :)</p>
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<p>and you obviously need to be naked to really appreciate the difference....</p> -
<p>I had a missus at uni who liked to sleep in satin sheets. Have you ever tried rooting in satin sheets? it's fucking hard to get a decent grip. Wear the footy boots to bed to get a decent leg drive. </p>
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<p>I presume that's what the Moody Blues were on about? "Nights in white satin, never reaching the end"?</p>
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<p>In hot climates, apparently linen sheets are step up from Egyptian cotton - cooler, but significantly more expensive. In cold climates, similarly, silk sheets - but also more expensive. Doubtless thread counts etc are also valid for these.</p> -
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.yazoom.co.nz/brandedgoods/sheetset484884?utm_source=YZ+Northland&utm_campaign=4ed257fe46-Northland+2014-12-06&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d44937e107-4ed257fe46-16608197'>http://www.yazoom.co.nz/brandedgoods/sheetset484884?utm_source=YZ+Northland&utm_campaign=4ed257fe46-Northland+2014-12-06&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d44937e107-4ed257fe46-16608197</a></p>
<p> </p>$89 for a 1000 thread count Royal Hotel queen size cotton blend sheet set, or $99 for king size (worth up to $219)
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<p>It's in some triangle with a bunch of aliens!</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="464273" data-time="1417391982">
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<p>Au contraire. I wish I'd known this stuff in my 20s - I had some massively shagable flatmates whom I'm sure could have been lured to try the difference between the sheets. :)</p>
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<p>Wouldn't have made a fucking difference once they'd encountered your leftover icing crust in various spots.</p>
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<p>The QI elves have a weekly podcast called "<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Such_Thing_As_A_Fish'>No such thing as a fish</a>" which essentially QI fodder that doesn't make it to the small screen. </p>
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<p>As the intro of the podcast explains, the Oxford Encyclopedia of Underwater Life states that fish is really just an umbrella term to describe an aquatic vertebrate that isnt a mammal, turtle or anything else. When one looks at the genetic makeup of what we call fish, and try to compare them to one another, they tend to be vastly different (for example, a Salmon is more closely related to a Camel than it is to a hagfish). Apparently there is no such thing as a sardine or tree either. </p>
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<p>Anyhoo, if you like QI, I highly recommend this podcast. It was Apples best new podcast for 2014 and currently has 530k subscribers.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="464265" data-time="1417390194">
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<p>you guys are massive homos</p>
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<p>I can't tell if that is an insult or a compliment from you, Mr Sailor Boy!</p>