Abstract: A wrap-around sleeve, for enclosing and protecting an object such as a wire bundle, comprises a plain weft-knitted sheet formed from a filament having an elastic modulus such that the sheet has a sufficiently high transverse curl force (which is the force with which the sheet tends to curl transversely) that the sleeve remains wrapped around the object without separate closure means. Preferably the elastic modulus of the filament is at least 4000 N.mm.sup.-2.

Abstract: An overcoatable machine-made braid may be formed at high-speeds and directly from producer's low-twist, single-yarns of continuous filament, inorganic materials by this process which treats the yarn prior to or during braiding with a lubricant liquid. The treatment enables such single-yarns, which tend to be brittle, to be processed on modern high-speed braiding machines without excessive fibrillation of the yarn, duplicating overcoatable braid constructions using costlier plied twisted-pair-yarns. Additionally, the treatment enables advantage to be taken of the intrinsically greater width to depth ratio of single-yarns compared to their braid-production equivalent twisted-pair-yarns. The resulting braids are lighter in weight, have a finer hand and can be more smoothly overcoated.