A closer look at cloth

All of these shots were taken with a clip-on in the first couple of days after I got the first one in the mail.

When people get their first hand lens, they examine their hands, fingerprints and fingernails, and then they look at their hair. With clip-ons, the first time they set their device down on their lap while they move something, they see the detail in cloth.

Two views of one piece of cloth, probably satin.

You will need some different types of clothes (or a ragbag of clean scrap material), and an embiggener. Shirts and blouses are usually woven cloth, t-shirts are typically knitted, and I know little more than that. There are some interesting images to be gathered, though. What you do from there is up to you. Discover something!

Three other cloth samples, but how many types of fibre can you see?

Now look at the fibres in cloth samples, to see if they can both be distinguished in the fabric, or not. Here are two shots of cotton polyester at x15 and x60, then three of pure merino, at x15, then at x30 and x60. This exploration began when I wondered if you could see the different fibres in composite cloth like cotton polyester cloth. I think I can do that!

But can you tell merino from cotton polyester without labelling or a microscope? I don’t think I can do that!

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