a yarn conveyor positioned to receive a bundle of yarn;

a heat setting oven positioned to apply heat to the bundle of yarn, the heat setting oven having an oven entrance and an oven exit, the conveyor carrying the bundle of yarn into the heat setting oven through the oven entrance for the bundle of yarn to be heated and out of the heat setting oven through the oven exit after the yarn is heated;

a counterband traveling in a loop such that the counterband enters the heat setting oven through the oven entrance and exits the heat setting oven through the oven exit, at least a portion of the counterband extending between the oven entrance and the oven exit substantially parallel to and above the conveyor to abuttingly contact the bundle of yarn against the conveyor when the heat setting oven is applying heat to the bundle of yarn passing therethrough, the counterband being formed of a plurality of hydrophobic fibers, the fibers being woven in a mesh pattern and thereby form apertures to enhance flow of a heated vaporous fluid between the fibers; and

a yarn cooler positioned downstream from the heat setting oven to cool the bundle of yarn exiting the oven exit to thereby heat set the heated bundle of yarn, a cooling efficiency of the yarn cooler being increased responsive to the hydrophobic fibers allowing the yarn cooler to cool the bundle of yarn without moisture from the heated vaporous fluid being absorbed by the counterband when the heat setting oven is applying heat to the bundle of yarn.