Weaving and knitting are two of the most important methods of manufacturing fabrics, crocheting being another. Remember your grandmother making woolen garments for you when you were a small kid? She used to take woolen yarn and with the help of two thin needles, she was able to make woolen fabric that was later stitched into a top for you. This is a method of making Fabrics called knitting. There is another method called weaving that is responsible for most fabrics available in the market that are used to make shirts, trousers, shirts, jackets, coat suits etc. This article tries to make clear the differences between Weaving and knitting to enable readers to pick the right fabric for their intended garment.
Knitting
Knitting is a method of creating fabric through a single yarn in such a manner that the end product appears to have loops that look like tiny rows of braids. Two needles having hooks are used to create interlocking loops to make a knitted fabric.
There are two main types of knitting called weft and warp knitting. While weft knitting requires a single yarn, warp knitting makes use of a separate yarn for every course or row. Warp knitting can only be done by a machine and is used for the manufacture of hosiery that is the backbone of all lingerie stuff. On the other hand, weft method of creating fabric out of a single yarn is what has traditionally been employed in hand made fabrics. However, modern machines use a different method under this system of knitting called weft to create fabrics. All woolen garments and hosiery garments available in the market that are stretchable belong to knitting category. Stretch ability is the biggest characteristic of all knitted garments.
Knitted fabrics have insulated air pockets that provide warmth to the person wearing them. However, there are breathing spaces and one can see the porous spots in a knitted fabric that allows for comfort to the wearer. Knitted fabrics are also lightweight and absorbent making them very comfortable when you are looking for tight fitting garments such as inner garments and stockings.
Weaving
Weaving is the most popular method of construction of fabrics in the world. Two sets of yarns run together in an interlacing fashion to make way for the warp and the weft of a weave. These warp and weft help in the creation of fabrics or cloth that can be stitched into different varieties of garments.
It is possible to make weaves in a single color or create beautiful designs by placing different shades of yarns in the machines. Very colorful and attractive designs are possible in woven fabrics. This is an ancient fabric making art that has been transformed into a science today for the manufacture of fabrics at a very large scale with the help of large machines.
What is the difference between Weaving and Knitting?
• Knitting involves creating loops with a single yarn like braids in rows using needles that are hooked. Examples are all woolen sweaters and hosiery garments that are stretchable
• Weaving involves intermeshing of two sets of yarns called warp ad weft and creating fabric out of them. All fabrics of trousers, jackets, blazers, skirts etc are made through weaving
• Knitted fabrics are lightweight and absorbent. They are also wrinkle-resistant whereas woven fabrics get wrinkled easily when crumpled
• Knitted fabrics are ideal for tight fitting garments like lingerie and stockings as they get stretched