Definition
Knit fabric is made from rows of interlocking loops of yarn rather than crossed threads, which makes it stretchy, soft and resistant to fraying.
Because each loop can open and close, knit fabric stretches, usually more across its width than along it, and springs back. That stretch replaces darts and zips in many garments: a T-shirt or a sweatshirt pulls over the head and still fits close.
Main families:
- Single knits: jersey, the T-shirt fabric, light and prone to curling at the edges.
- Double knits: interlock, ponte and scuba, thicker, stable and similar on both sides.
- Rib knits: columns of knit and purl stitches with high crosswise stretch, used for bands and cuffs.
- Looped and fleece knits: French terry and sweatshirt fleece.
How much a knit stretches, and how well it recovers, is given as a stretch percentage. Knit patterns state a minimum, and a less stretchy fabric makes the garment tighter.
Sewing knits on a home machine works well with three habits: a ballpoint or stretch needle, a stretch stitch or narrow zigzag instead of a straight stitch, and letting the fabric feed without stretching it. A serger is fast but not required.
Knits do not fray, so seams need no finishing, but cut edges may curl or ladder. In Sewly, knit patterns such as the T-shirt use 1 cm (3/8 in) seam allowances by default. Full method: sewing knit fabrics on a regular sewing machine.