Every fabric can be considered a knit fabric. Each fabric starts with a thread woven together to make a cloth. This thread can be of any material like cotton, wool, rayon, nylon, viscose, etc. Knitting factories were introduced because the demand for the knitted fabric was too much and local knitters were unable to meet those demands.
Knit fabrics are elastic materials made of yarns. They are first formed in the shape of loops and then interconnected to produce a proper textile product. The benefit of a knit thread is that it can stretch and change shape as well as size. The fabric’s thread will stretch 25% more than the original size. This stretchy feature helps people buy the right coat and jersey during winter.
During winter, the most commonly used knit is the rib knit which is made with a vertically knitted pattern called ribbing. It is popularly used for making socks and sweaters. This knit is the straight and reversible form of Stockinette stitch, which is a small pattern of V. Rib-knit combines two basic stitches the knit and purl which is quite easy to use.
Nature’s Fabrics is a small business run by a Christian family in Pennsylvania. They provide the best quality of economic fabric for sewing purposes. Their collection includes solid cotton rib knit fabric, bamboo fabric, bullet knit fabric, polyester fabric, hemp and linen fabrics, and so on. They provide a large amount of wholesale and retail fabric at a decent price.
Types of Knit Fabrics
There are two methods of manufacturing knit fabrics –
- Warp knitting where each thread has a needle and the fabric is stitched vertically.
- Weft knit fabric is made of one thread that is interlocked with each other horizontally.
These two manufacturing processes produce different types of knit fabrics –
Warp knitting
- Raschel knit material contains inlaid yarns along with vertical stitches. The fabric is open and has a coarser texture, which is perfect for blouses, coats, dresses, and underwear.
- Tricot fabrics are produced on the flatbed instead of a circular knitting machine. They’re perfect for activewear if composed of Nylon Spandex or Polyester Spandex.
- Milanese fabric produces something very similar to tricot, which has fine rib knit on the top and diagonal pattern at the back. However, it is smoother, elastic, and friction-resistant compared to tricot fabric.
Weft Knitting
- Jersey fabric is very comfortable and stretchy that makes it a great choice for items that require frequent movement. Dresses, pajamas, t-shirts, underwear, tops, and skirts are perfect examples as the material is absorbent and breathable.
- Interlock fabric is used in almost all types of elastic garments. It has the toughest weave, which gives the surface smoothness and firmness.
- We have already mentioned above about rib-knit fabric which is good for winter wears due to high elasticity.
- Purl fabric is similar on both sides so the product manufactured from this fabric is reversible. The advantage of this fabric is that it doesn’t curl and therefore it is good for sweaters and outerwear.
Knit fabrics are comfortable and stretchy. It allows the material to breathe in summers and on the other hand, it keeps the body warm in winters. It is wrinkle-resistant and durable. However, most fabrics require dry cleaning instead of machine wash to keep their original appearance. Choose your fabric wisely that suits your figure and solves the purpose.
