Papermaker's forming fabric with companion yarns

A papermaker's fabric, comprising:

• a base fabric structure including machine direction yarns and primary cross machine direction yarns interlacing to form a papermaking surface, said machine direction yarns and primary cross machine direction yarns being interlaced in a pattern having a harness repeat of greater than two, said base fabric structure further including a second set of cross machine direction yarns interlaced with said machine direction yarns to form a machine side surface of said fabric;
• first and second companion cross machine direction yarns positioned between each pair of adjacent primary cross machine direction yarns;
• wherein each first companion cross machine direction yarn has an interlacing pattern relative to said machine direction yarns that is identical to a first of said pair of adjacent primary cross machine direction yarns, and wherein each second companion cross machine direction yarn has an interlacing pattern relative to said machine direction yarns that is identical to a second of said pair of adjacent primary cross machine direction yarns, and wherein said first companion cross machine direction yarn is positioned between said second primary and companion cross machine direction yarns;
• and
• wherein said primary cross machine direction yarns have a first diameter, and said first and second companion yarns have a second diameter, and the ratio between said first and second diameters is between about 0.9 and 1.1.

A method of making paper, comprising the steps of:

• providing a papermaker's fabric, said papermaker's fabric comprising:
• a base fabric structure including machine direction yarns and primary cross machine direction yarns interlacing to form a papermaking surface, said machine direction yarns and primary cross machine direction yarns being interlaced in a pattern having a harness repeat of greater than 2;
• two companion cross machine direction yarns positioned between each pair of adjacent primary cross machine direction yarns;
• wherein each first companion cross machine direction yarn has an interlacing pattern relative to said machine direction yarns that is identical to a first of said pair of adjacent primary cross machine direction yarns, and wherein each second companion cross machine direction yarn has an interlacing pattern relative to said machine direction yarns that is identical to a second of said pair of adjacent primary cross machine direction yarns, and wherein said first companion cross machine direction yarn is positioned between said second primary and companion cross machine direction yarns;
• and
• wherein said primary cross machine direction yarns have a first diameter, and said first and second companion yarns have a second diameter, and the ratio between said first and second diameters is between about 0.9 and 1.1;
• applying paper stock to said papermaker's fabric;
• and
• removing moisture from said paper stock.