Introduction to Knit Fabrics
This lesson is the first in our 7-part series on working with knit fabrics. We start by demonstrating the difference between woven and knit fabrics and then how knits are structured. You will learn the meaning of terms like knit and purl, wale and course and how a weft knit differs from a warp knit. We will teach you about how knits are made and about the different types of yarns, so that when designing, you will make the best choice for each of your designs.
Once you finish this lesson move on to Part 2 – Knit Fabric Principles and then view our series on how to draft your knit pattern blocks.
| Module | Description | Step |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woven vs. Knit | 1-3 |
| 2 | Knit Fabric Structure | 1-10 |
| 3 | Weft Knits | 1-5 |
| 4 | Warp Knit Structure | 1-2 |
| 5 | Knit Fibers | 1-3 |
MODULE 1 • Woven vs. Knit
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | We’ll begin this lesson, by talking about the difference between a woven fabric and a knit fabric. Plain woven fabric is created by interlacing two sets of yarns. Here we have a piece of #1 muslin. The length or warp grain is going in a vertical direction and the cross or weft grain is in the horizontal direction. |
| 2 | With woven fabric, there is always some stretch in the weft, none in the warp, and of course the bias always has some stretch, as the instructor demonstrates here, by pulling on each of the grains. |
| 3 | The instructor also demonstrates how a single warp yarn on a woven fabric can be gently pulled out, on this small swatch, leaving an empty space, mimicking a ‘run,’ like in a pair of stockings. |
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