(1) A process used in the worsted trade to set fabric in a smooth flat state so that it will not cockle, pucker, or wrinkle during subsequent wet processing. The fabric is treated in open width and warp-way tension in a hot or boiling aqueous medium, the tension being maintained while the fabric is cooling (see setting)
(2) A process of bringing a lustrous weft to cover the surface of a fabric, e.g., a cotton-warp/mohair-weft fabric
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A term used in the textile industry. Crabbing sets the cloth and yarn twist by rotating the fabric over cylinders through a hot-water bath, or through a series of progressively hotter baths, followed by a cold-water bath. Crabbing is done to stabilize the fabric before dyeing and finishing and is necessary only for worsted fabrics
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