What does Heather mean?

A type of fabric color that is created by using a mix of fibers with different colors. For example, mixing together white and black fibers will create a grey heather fiber.

Also known as Cross Dye Top Dye and Melange.

Heddels explains Heather

Heather, or mélange, is a color effect achieved by cross dyeing fabric made from more than one type of fiber. The process involving dipping the fabric into several different dye baths specifically chosen for their affinity to the fibers so that each fiber type will only absorb certain dyes. This produces a fabric that has subtle variations in color – an effect known as heather.

Additional Resources

Here is an example of a heather fiber: