Learn to Differentiate Between Knit and Woven Fabrics

Fabric can be made from a variety of materials, such as cotton, linen, rayon, spandex, lycra, and viscose. However, there are only two basic fabric varieties that can be prepared: knit or woven.

What Is a Knit Fabric?

Knit fabric is a type of textile created by weaving long needles through yarn. Weft knitting and warp knitting are the two types of knitting used to make fabric. A fabric knit in weft knitting has loops that run back and forth, whereas a fabric produced in warp knitting has loops that go up and down.

T-shirts and other shirtings, sportswear, swimwear, leggings, socks, sweaters, sweatshirts, and cardigans are among the products that manufacturers create using knit fabric. Modern knit fabrics are primarily produced by knitting machines, but you can also hand knit the fabric with knitting needles.

Characteristics of Knit Fabric

1. Stretchy and flexible. Knit fabric is extremely flexible and can stretch in both breadth and length since it is made of a series of loops. This kind of fabric is ideal for form-fitting, garments without zippers. Knit fabric’s flexible and unstructured texture allows it to stretch or drape over most shapes and adhere to their contours.

2. Wrinkle-resistant. Knit fabric is extremely wrinkle-resistant because of its elasticity; if you scrunch it into a ball in your fingers and then release it, the fabric should spring back into essentially the same form as it did before.

 3. Soft. Touching most knit textiles feels smooth. If the fabric is tightly knit, it will seem smooth; if it is looser knit, the ribbing will make the fabric feel bumpy or ridged.

4. Easy to maintain. Knitted clothing doesn’t need much specific maintenance, such as hand washing, and can be readily machine washed. Since this fabric type typically resists wrinkles, ironing is not necessary.

5. Easy to damage. Knit fabric is less long-lasting than woven cloth and will eventually stretch out or pill with use.

6. Difficult to sew. Compared to non-stretchy textiles, knit fabric is much more difficult to sew (either by hand or on a sewing machine) because it can be difficult to stitch straight lines without gathering and puckering.

What Is a Woven Fabric?

Two sets of yarn are woven together to create woven fabric, which is a type of textile. Manufacturers manufacture woven fabric by weaving together vertical warp threads and horizontal weft threads on looms. If you look closely, woven cloth seems like a checkerboard of straight threads that cross over and under each other at right angles, much like a woven basket. For structural items like blazers and coats as well as upholstery pieces, woven cloth is a typical material.

Characteristics of Woven Fabric

1. Very structured. Unlike fabrics that delicately drape around objects, woven fabric often has a lot of rigidity and maintains its shape. Additionally, this type of fabric is not extremely elastic and will not give up to gentle pressure.

2. Susceptible to wrinkles and creases. Woven fabric needs frequent ironing to look smooth and flawless because of the way it is constructed, which makes it easily hold creases and wrinkles.

3. Often coarse. The strands used to make woven fabric are frequently not as soft as those used to make knit fabric, giving woven cloth a slightly coarser feel.

4. Durable. Woven fabric is incredibly strong, keeping its shape through numerous washings and preventing pilling.

5. Easy to sew. It is simple to sew woven fabric without creating gathers or puckers since it often has little flexibility.

6. Expensive. Weaving fabric together is usually a more time-intensive process than knitting. As a result, woven fabrics tend to be more expensive to buy, either as fabric or pre-made into clothing.

Some quality knitwear

Callie Jumper – Blue, Heart Leopard

All year long, you can wear this sweater with a leopard design in pale blue and coral. Pure cotton guarantees its durability and softness, and classic features like a round neck and ribbed cuffs make it a wardrobe favourite.

Laura Cardigan – Black/Pink Lightning Bolt

The cardigan has the same graphic motifs as our jumpers in a thicker, cosier, edge-to-edge fabric, making it perfect for the challenging transitional season. The vivid, pale pink lightning bolts on a black base are also featured on the open-fronted Laura form.

Janie Jumper – Black, Space Mountain Scene

The thicker knit is a little more special. Our whimsical scene intarsia designs, like this tiered space mountain scene in lush greens and blues on a black base, look fantastic on Janie Jumper. For a playful everyday look, we adore this jumper teamed with jeans, a raincoat, and boots.

About Sugarhill Brighton

Since being a small business allows them to manufacture their collections in an ethical and sustainable manner and share their revenues with their charity partners, Sugarhill Brighton plans to remain that way. They produce fewer styles than many manufacturers and have smaller manufacturing to reduce waste, allowing them to concentrate on the fine craftsmanship and unique designs of each piece.