Magnetic strands for fabric items

A method for forming strands for fabric, comprising:

• with first and second feed hoppers, feeding first and second polymers to a common feed path, wherein the second polymer contains magnetic particles and wherein the first and second polymers mix in the common feed path to produce a magnetic material;
• with a first extruder, receiving the magnetic material from the common feed path and extruding the magnetic material through a first set of openings in a spinneret to form a first component in a magnetic strand;
• with a second extruder, extruding non-magnetic material through a second set of openings in the spinneret to form a second component in the magnetic strand;
• and
• intertwining the magnetic strand with other strands, wherein the magnetic strand has a non-magnetic segment in which a cross-section of the magnetic strand is comprised entirely of the non-magnetic material.

A method for forming magnetic strands, comprising:

• with a first feed hopper, feeding a first polymer to a first extruder;
• with a second feed hopper, feeding a second polymer to the first extruder, wherein the second polymer is mixed with magnetic particles and wherein the first polymer, the second polymer, and the magnetic particles are mixed together in a common feed path before being fed to the first extruder;
• with a third feed hopper, feeding a third polymer to a second extruder;
• and
• with the first and second extruders, pushing the first, second, and third polymers through a spinneret to form bicomponent magnetic strands, wherein an amount of the magnetic particles in one of the bicomponent magnetic strands varies along its length.