What is Two-Thread Fleece (French Terry)?

Two-thread fleece is a knitted fabric made from two separate yarns: the ground yarn forms the loops on the face and the backing yarn forms the reverse (Uyanık, 2023). The face looks plain, like single jersey, while the reverse shows floats. Turkish academic writing also calls it a backed knit (astarlı örgü) or fleece. It is the basic fabric of sweatshirts and joggers, sold in Turkey as iki iplik (“two thread”). In English, the version with an unbrushed reverse is called French terry and the brushed version fleece (CottonWorks), so this entry covers both names (see below).

Two-thread fleece structure

The ground yarn forms the loops on the face. The backing yarn makes long floats and attaches to the fabric at certain points by tucking (Uyanık, 2023). In a tuck the needle takes a new yarn without dropping the old loop; in a float the needle does not move and the yarn passes behind it (Dönmez, 2008). Because the backing yarn floats and tucks, it uses less yarn than the ground yarn (Uyanık, 2023). CottonWorks lists two-end fleece among the single-bed fabrics.

How two-thread fleece is knitted

Two-thread fleece is knitted on single-bed circular machines (Uyanık, 2023; Sasteks). It needs two belts and two pulleys to feed the ground and backing yarns separately, so it cannot be made on single jersey machines with a single track (Turkish: tek çelik yollu); single jersey machines also run finer (at a higher gauge) than two-thread machines (Uyanık, 2023).

The pulley setting determines the amount of backing yarn. In one study the amount of ground yarn was held constant while the amount of backing yarn was increased: weight and thickness rose, bursting strength fell partly, and spirality (Turkish: may dönmesi) and dimensional change rates were not affected (Uyanık, 2023).

Brushed and unbrushed two-thread fleece

If the reverse is brushed (napped), the fabric gets a soft, warm inner face (Fersan). CottonWorks names the brushing of the interior loops as the difference between fleece and French terry: it calls French terry a 2-end fleece that is not napped, and describes fleece as heavier and suited to cold-weather and active garments. Brushed two-thread feels warmer than unbrushed (Güneşoğlu et al., cited in Uyanık, 2023).

Two-thread fleece and French terry

This entry follows CottonWorks: two-thread fleece is the construction, French terry is its unbrushed version and fleece its brushed version. Naming is still inconsistent in the market. One manufacturer calls two-thread itself French terry (Fersan), while another uses that name for a heavy cotton fabric with terry loops, 420–440 g/m² (Altunkaya, 2024). Sources also disagree on brushing: Altunkaya (2024) writes that two-thread cannot be brushed, whereas Uyanık (2023), Karcem and Sasteks say the reverse is suitable for brushing, and Fersan offers a brushed two-thread. State in the order whether the reverse is brushed or unbrushed, and confirm with a sample and the weight.

Two-thread fleece weight (GSM)

Two-thread fleece has no standard weight range: the result depends on the yarn counts, how much backing yarn is fed, the fiber mix and finishing. Below are supplier claims and one measured value:

In the research samples, weight rose from 188.23 to 197.38 g/m² as the amount of backing yarn increased (TS EN 12127; Uyanık, 2023). The claims are individual product values; ask in what state (greige or finished) the weight was measured. To convert from imperial units, 1 oz/yd² is roughly 33.9 g/m².

Uses

Two-thread fleece is used in sweatshirts, hooded cardigans and jogger sets (Sasteks) and in the sweatshirt–jogger group (Karcem). Uyanık (2023) counts two- and three-thread fabrics among those sought for sportswear and outdoor garments because of good thermal comfort, low air permeability and protection against cold. For a broader comparison of fabric groups, read the fabric types guide; the guide to fabric weight by product covers T-shirts, hoodies and joggers.

How it differs from three-thread fleece

The three-thread version has one more yarn: a filler (pile) yarn that a separate tie-in yarn locks to the ground. CottonWorks notes that knitting with three yarns rather than two gives a fuller and more stable fleece. Two-thread is knitted without that third yarn; the three-thread fleece entry covers it in detail.

What to specify when sourcing two-thread fleece

1. State the reverse: brushed or unbrushed.
2. Composition and yarns: ask for fiber percentages and the ground and backing yarn counts. Because the amount of backing yarn changes the weight (Uyanık, 2023), ask for the backing ratio too.
3. Have the shrinkage of two-thread fleece measured: the ISO 5077 result should be obtained with ISO 6330 washing and drying procedures. In Uyanık’s unbrushed cotton samples, width shrinkage was 1.7–2.3% and length shrinkage 6.7–7.3% (TS EN ISO 5077; the washing conditions are not stated in the article). In these samples length shrinkage is clearly higher than width shrinkage.
4. Get the weight together with the measuring stage: greige or finished.

Frequently asked questions

Are two-thread fleece and French terry the same? According to CottonWorks, French terry is a 2-end fleece that is not brushed. Turkish suppliers use the name for different fabrics, so confirm with a sample and the weight.

Can two-thread fleece be worn in summer? Producers disagree: one recommends two-thread for spring, summer and early autumn (Altunkaya, 2024), while another says it is not preferred for summer because it is thick (Sasteks). Look at the weight and the state of the reverse.