# What GSM Can 24s/1 and 38s/1 Cotton-Hemp Yarn Produce? > 24s/1 and 38s/1 cotton-hemp yarn GSM depends on knit or weave construction. Typical ranges for apparel and home textiles — and what US hemp grade feeds each count. *Published 2026-09-28 · tags: hemp-fiber, market-report* --- GSM is a fabric number, not a yarn number. Asking what GSM 24s/1 and 38s/1 cotton-hemp yarn can produce is really asking what constructions those counts support once a mill sets stitch density, weave sett, and finishing. In practice, **24s/1** cotton-hemp yarn commonly lands in **about 160–260 GSM** for typical single-jersey knits and midweight wovens, while **38s/1** more often lands in **about 110–190 GSM** for lighter apparel knits and finer sheeting constructions — with heavier or lighter outliers when the mill packs or opens the structure. Those ranges are planning bands for brand and grower conversations, not a lab certificate for every loom. The US-grown hemp behind the yarn still has to grade for the cotton system, which is why this piece sits next to [spinning hemp with Supima® cotton](/en/news/us-grown-hemp-spun-with-supima-cotton) and [growing hemp for textile yarn](/en/news/growing-hemp-for-textile-yarn-us-farms). Industrial hemp in this article means Farm Bill–compliant fiber at or below 0.3% delta-9 THC — not CBD, not marijuana. ## How Yarn Count Sets the Ceiling on Cotton-Hemp GSM English cotton count (Ne) runs opposite to thickness: **38s/1 is finer than 24s/1**. Finer yarn can make lighter fabrics at a given construction, or the same GSM with more ends and picks (higher cover). That is why mills pick count before they promise a GSM on a tech pack. Cotton-hemp yarn at 24s/1 carries more mass per length, so it naturally fills midweight T-shirts, French terry bodies, light twills, and utility sheeting. At 38s/1 the same blend can chase lighter jerseys, finer shirting structures, and the lower-to-mid thread-count bed linen band covered in [120–200 TC cotton-hemp](/en/news/cotton-hemp-yarn-120-200-tc-bed-linen). GSM still moves with gauge, stitch length, and finishing shrinkage — a washed 38s jersey can land heavier than an open 24s construction if the mill designs it that way. Upstream, finer counts demand cleaner, finer bast. The [HFGA US Hemp Textile Standard](/standards/us-hemp-textile-standard) is the grade language that makes “this lot can feed 38s” a procurement sentence rather than a hope. Production context comes from [USDA NASS](https://www.nass.usda.gov/); licensing from [USDA AMS](https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/hemp). ## Typical GSM Windows for 24s/1 and 38s/1 Cotton-Hemp Use these as briefing ranges. Always confirm on a bulk trial fabric — not a handloom swatch alone. ### 24s/1 Cotton-Hemp Yarn — Midweight GSM Expect **roughly 160–260 GSM** for common single-jersey and light double-knit apparel, and midweight woven shirting or sheeting when sett is moderate. Brands use 24s/1 cotton-hemp when they want hemp’s hand and durability without going into heavy fleece. Growers should hear “24s program” as a signal for textile-grade fiber with enough length and fineness for cotton-system spinning, not for coarse technical nonwoven lots. ### 38s/1 Cotton-Hemp Yarn — Lighter GSM Expect **roughly 110–190 GSM** for apparel jerseys and finer woven constructions aimed at lighter shirts and bed linen grounds. 38s/1 is where cotton-hemp starts to feel closer to fine cotton programs — including blends discussed with [Supima® cotton](/en/news/us-grown-hemp-spun-with-supima-cotton). It is also less forgiving of residual shive and length scatter; lots that miss TX-A style blend grades usually drop to coarser counts or non-textile grades under the [decorticated fiber standard](/standards/decorticated-fiber-standard). ### Construction Moves GSM More Than Marketing Copy The same 38s/1 yarn can make a 120 GSM open jersey or a 180 GSM dense jersey. Weave cover factor, knit gauge, heat setting, and enzyme or mechanical finishing all move mass per area. When a tech pack lists both count and GSM, treat GSM as the fabric target and count as the yarn tool — not the other way around. Mill geography and process steps that affect those trials are mapped in the [USA → India → USA hemp textile chain](/en/news/us-grown-hemp-textile-supply-chain-usa-india-usa). ## What 24s and 38s GSM Targets Mean for US Hemp Growers Count and GSM are downstream specs. The farm decisions that unlock them happen a season earlier. ### Finer Counts Need Cleaner Textile Grades A 38s/1 cotton-hemp program will not be rescued by a milling miracle if the bale is dirty or under-retted. Variety, retting, and wrapper discipline in the [textile yarn agronomy guide](/en/news/growing-hemp-for-textile-yarn-us-farms) are the real GSM enablers. [Certified seed](/buy-certified-hemp-seed-planting) under [AOSCA](https://www.aosca.org/) keeps the variety claim honest for every cone that follows. ### Contract Against the Count the Mill Will Spin If the buyer’s tech pack says 38s/1 at 140 GSM, the acre needs a textile contract, not a spot call in October. Start with [sell your crop](/sell-your-hemp-fiber-hemp-grain-crop), check [pricing](/hemp-fiber-grain-commodity-pricing), and read who buys fiber in the [US buyers guide](/en/news/hemp-buyers-in-the-us-fiber-and-grain). Association context for why grades exist sits in the [hemp fiber association guide](/en/news/hemp-fiber-association-guide-for-us-growers). ### Position GSM Against End Markets You Can Name Athletic and apparel knits at lighter GSM compete with synthetics — see [natural alternative to polyester](/en/news/natural-alternative-to-polyester-us-hemp-textiles). Home textiles at mid GSM and 120–200 TC are a different buyer. Matching count → GSM → end use keeps US hemp textile acres from being sold as generic “hemp fabric” into whichever bid arrives first. 24s/1 and 38s/1 cotton-hemp yarn can produce a useful span of GSM — midweight with 24s, lighter and finer with 38s — when construction is intentional and the upstream hemp is graded for the cotton system. --- Source: https://hfga.io/en/news/gsm-24s-38s-cotton-hemp-yarn/ HTML version: https://hfga.io/en/news/gsm-24s-38s-cotton-hemp-yarn/