When to choose a Woven Fabric over a Knit Fabric

The origin of woven textiles

Textiles are defined by the yarns and threads that create them. Historically speaking, textiles have been used for the last 100,000 years, all the way back to the stone age. The earliest instances of cotton, silk, and linen being used, dates to 5000 B.C. Two different manufacturing processes of textiles emerged as the main types… woven and knitted. What’s the difference between woven and knitted fabrics? When choosing textiles, one of the main questions to ask yourself is whether you need a woven or a knitted fabric. The best way to answer this question is to understand the difference between the two types. In this blog I’d like to discuss the difference between woven and knitted textiles and some examples of each to help you understand what’s the best option for your project.

Woven Fabrics

Woven fabrics have been developed throughout the ages by “weavers” and their predecessors. Weaving textiles involves the interlacing of two or more yarns to create fabric. In weaving, the warp and the weft are terms to describe the direction of the yarn compared to the loom. The warp is the yarn that runs up the loom vertically. They act as the beam or center that the weft, or the horizontal yarns, are interlaced through. A shuttle is a tool that neatly carries the weft thread through the warp repeatedly to crate your finished textile. Woven textiles are easiest to spot due to the crisscross pattern. They are also easiest to use because they do not unravel if you cut them.

Woven Fabric Types

Woven fabrics can be created in a variety of ways. A common woven fabric type is plain weave, also called tabby weave, linen weave, or taffeta weave. This is a style of weaving that alternates weft threads, or yarn, over and under the warp threads, or yarn. Plain weaves are most used in clothing and home textiles due to their durability. Another woven fabric type is the twill weave. This woven textile is created by weaving weft threads in a diagonal pattern up the warp. This technique is known to add more durability to the textile and are preferably used in garments/textiles that will undergo wear and tear. These types of fabric are commonly seen in shirting and suits as well as durable upholstery furniture.

The final woven fabric type is the satin weave. This is by far the more complicated weave out of the three types. Satin weave involves longer “floats “of the weft yarn or thread, exposed on the surface to create shiny and reflective effects. This type of weave is most commonly used in higher end garments and textiles like jackets, athletic shorts, nightgowns and blouses.

Re- upholster your sofa with these great fabrics 

 

Knitted Fabrics

Knitted fabrics are a little different than woven. Knitted fabrics are made by one continuous thread, much like continuous yarn in hand knitting. Knitted textiles are created by a single thread or yarn, assisted by needles, to create interlocking loops, instead of the multiple warp yarns used in woven fabrics. The knitted fabric is a single yarn or thread that loops up and down the knitting machine. The easiest way to tell the difference between woven and knitted fabrics is knits create loops in the braided pattern vs the interlacing weave. Knitted fabrics are preferred in clothing due to their stretchiness and temperature control they provide. Knitted fabrics can also be a little tricky. If you cut a knitted textile, the fabric can unravel because it’s interloping single yarn or thread. Knitted fabric must be glued on the cut edge to prevent it.

Knit vs Woven: What is the Difference?

Knit vs Woven Fabric

Construction

Woven fabrics are created on weaving looms. These looms can be 54 inches wide and above. The main difference between knit vs woven fabrics is how they are constructed. Woven fabrics are created using several warps, or longitudinal yarns, and wefts, or latitudinal yarns. Knitting involves interloping or interlacing a single yarn or thread.

How They Stretch and Move

Woven fabrics are less stretchable due to the fact that it's tightly woven threads or independent yarns. The looms that weave fabric typically work on tighter tension than knitting machines. Usually woven fabrics only stretch diagonally and is why they are the premier choice for upholstery. This leaves less room for the fabric to slouch and change shape when on a piece of furniture.

Knitted fabrics are stretchable in many directions. This is because of less tension during knitting and it's constructed from a single yarn or thread. Notice how your clothing can move in many directions vs your coach fabric witch is sturdy. If woven fabric was chosen for apparel, we would have a lot stiffer t shirts and pullovers.

 

Most Common Application

Woven Fabrics are more durable and less likely to lose their color. This is because they come in less contact with cleaning agents such as bleach and detergent.

Knitted fabrics are preferred in warmth, comfort, and wrinkle resistant applications
like clothing. Knitted fabrics have a softer feel but can be less durable in the long run.

Choose woven fabrics for upholstery.

Choose knitted fabrics for apparel.

 

Wash Ability

Woven fabrics are less likely to shrink when washing. This is because of the tension and yarns used to construct woven upholstery fabrics.

Knitted fabrics shrink when frequently washed. Some fiber choices will avoid shrinkage due to their inherent fiber characteristics.

Whatever your project may be, like knitting a hat or reupholstering a sofa, I hope this blog can help you further understand the key differences in knit vs woven fabrics and gives you base guidelines for choosing a textile that suits your needs.