About Knitted Fabrics

How Knitted Fabric Is Made

Knitting forms fabric one loop at a time. Needles draw yarn through the loops of the previous row, so the whole cloth is a chain of interlocked loops - a structure closer to a net of springs than to a grid. That looped geometry is the source of everything knits are known for: the fabric can stretch in several directions and spring back, it drapes softly instead of holding a crease, and its open structure lets air circulate. It is the opposite construction philosophy from woven cloth, where two sets of yarn are interlaced at right angles for stability; the general About Fabrics guide sets the two side by side.

Production splits into two families. In weft knitting, a single yarn travels horizontally across the fabric, forming loops course by course; jersey, rib and purl structures are all weft knits, and most apparel knits - T-shirts, sweaters, underwear, socks - are made this way, by hand or on flat and circular machines. In warp knitting, many yarns run lengthwise at once and zigzag sideways as they loop, producing a more stable, less stretchy and more run-resistant cloth; tulle and tricot are the classic warp-knitted fabrics, used for nets, linings, lingerie and technical textiles. Readers who want the yarn directions pinned down can read about the weft and about the warp in the definitions section.

For the garment side of the story — how knitted fabric becomes knitwear, from stitch structures and gauge to linking, finishing and quality checks — see the Knitwear Construction Guide.

The Main Types of Knit

Single knit is the basic weft-knitted construction, with a distinct right and wrong side; it is light, economical and the default for T-shirts and lightweight garments, though its edges like to curl. Jersey is the best-known single knit of all - smooth and flat on the face, textured on the back, comfortable and versatile enough to cover everything from undershirts to dresses. Double knit interlocks two layers of loops into a thicker, more substantial and more stable fabric that holds its shape better, suiting jackets and garments meant to look the same from either side.

Rib knit alternates knit and purl stitches to raise vertical ridges on both faces; the ridges give it strong crosswise stretch and recovery, which is why ribbing finishes cuffs, collars, waistbands and hems and why ribbed tanks and sweaters cling so well. Interlock is a refined cousin of rib - two sets of needles build a smooth, stable, effectively reversible fabric with the same fine face on both sides, a step up in quality for polo shirts, quality T-shirts and baby clothes. The full survey of the types of knit fabrics goes further, and the garments made from them are covered under knitted garments.

Characteristics: Stretch, Breathability, Drape

Stretch and flexibility come first. Because every loop can deform, a knit gives with the body in a way woven cloth cannot match without added elastane, and it recovers when the yarn and structure are well chosen - the reason knits dominate clothing worn close to the skin and clothing worn for movement. Breathability follows from the same geometry: air moves through the loop structure, so knits feel comfortable in warm weather and as base layers, though very open knits trade warmth and opacity for that airflow.

Texture and drape are the designer's playground. Change the yarn, the stitch or the machine gauge and the same basic loop produces a smooth jersey face, a cabled sweater front, a lacy openwork or a plush fleece back - a range of surfaces no other single construction offers. Drape varies just as widely, from fluid, liquid knits that pour over the body to firm double knits that hold a silhouette. The trade-offs are real and worth knowing: knits can snag, ladder when a loop breaks, and grow or bag at stress points if the yarn is soft and the structure loose, so garment design has to respect the construction.

Where Knitted Fabrics Are Used

Clothing is the obvious home: T-shirts, sweaters, dresses, hosiery and socks, underwear and the whole activewear category, where stretch, breathability and moisture handling make knits the default choice for sport. Beyond apparel, knits appear in home textiles such as blankets and cushion covers and in medical textiles, where soft, conformable, sometimes compression structures do jobs woven cloth cannot. Knitting is also an efficient way to make fabric - for simple designs a knit is often quicker to produce than a woven equivalent, and shaped knitting can form garment panels with very little cutting waste.

To source or study knits further, work through the Knit Fabric Guide and its Knit Fabric Mills list, check the formal knit fabric definition and the knit fabric history definition, and compare constructions with about woven fabrics - most fabric buyers eventually need fluency in both. The mills themselves are gathered in the Fabric Mills directory and the Fabric Manufacturers Directory, inside the wider textile industry coverage.