Knits and Weaving: The Key Differences, Benefits, and How to Choose

Fabric is a part of our everyday lives—from the clothing we wear to the bedding we sleep in. However, despite the central role fabric plays, few people know much about what fabric is: how it is made, what it is made of, and what the process for sourcing materials is like. This is especially true for knit and woven fabric—two types of materials that people often confuse or interchange. In reality, two different processes make these fabrics—resulting in two unique textiles.

Read on to learn more about what knit and woven fabrics are, how they are made, what benefits each one offers, and what you should know if you want to learn how to manufacture soft goods.

What Is the Difference Between Knit and Woven?

Knit fabric and woven fabric are two distinct types of cloth that differ in look, feel, and durability. Knits are fabrics that are made with interlocking loops of one piece of thread. The thread is attached to a needle, which then loops up and down on a knitting machine to create the interlocking loops. Knits have sharper edges because they are created from one thread; this means the fabric can unraveled entirely if one does not use glue to secure it on the cut edge.

In contrast to knits, woven fabrics are created by weaving multiple threads over and under each other. In woven fabrics, threads create a criss-cross pattern that forms the surface of the textile. Because the fabric comprises two interlocking threads, a woven textile is known to be tougher and more durable than a knit. For that reason, clothing or soft goods that undergo a lot of wear and tear are often woven to endure usage. While knits are created on a knitting machine, woven fabrics are created on a loom—a larger and bulkier piece of equipment.

Comparing Woven Textiles to Knits

Woven cloth and knitted cloth have some key differences that can make them best suited to specific needs.

Elasticity & Stretch

Knitted fabrics are much more elastic and have more give than woven fabrics. This elasticity allows for more freedom of movement. For this reason, clothes that are worn daily or for movement-centric activities are usually made from knits. Woven fabric is less giving or stretchy, and it is often better suited for more formal clothing or for pieces that won't be subjected to a lot of movement.

Temperature

Along with elasticity, knitted fabrics tend to be cooler and more breathable than woven fabrics. Because the interlocking loops also allow for more space in the fabric, air can flow more easily through them. In woven fabrics, the threads or yarn are pulled more tightly together as they're woven over and under each other. This means they provide more insulation than knits. This is also what makes wovens better at blocking out the wind.

Ability to recover

Finally, knitted fabrics recover from folding and wrinkling more easily than woven fabrics. This means they are better for clothes you would keep folded, in drawers, or those you'd want to pack in suitcases or bags and bring with you when you travel. It is easier to end up with a piece of woven fabric that appears wrinkled and creased than it is to have a knit fabric with lasting wrinkles or fold marks. Thus, woven fabric is better for clothes that you will wear for special occasions or will hang in a closet, like formalwear or winter outerwear.

How are Knits and Weaving Measured?

Most fabrics are measured by their weight or thickness. While people can use several units of measure to describe textiles, the popular way to measure textiles is by using thread count, or threads per inch. The denier is another of the most common textile measurements.

Denier, often seen as D in measurements, conveys the linear mass density of the fibers used to create the fabric. This means that when referring to the denier of fabric, you are referring to the thickness of each thread. The unit of measurement uses one strand of silk as the basis of its reference—where 9,000 meters of the thread would equal 1 gram.

The denier of a fabric explains how fine or durable that fabric is. The smaller the denier, the more fine the fabric is, and the more fragile it is. Alternatively, a high denier indicates a tough fabric that is more durable. Fabrics that are under 1 denier are considered "microfiber" since the threads that make up the fabric are small and incredibly fine.

Is Every 1,000 Denier Material the Same?

Both woven and knit fabrics can be measured and described by their denier. Also, just because a fabric has the same denier as another fabric doesn't mean those two fabrics will appear the same. For example, 1000 D Ballistic Nylon and 1000 D Cordura have the same measure of thickness; however, the textures of the threads that make up the two weaves are different—resulting in one fabric that feels thicker and heavier (ballistic nylon), but one fabric that is more resistant to abrasion due to a rougher thread surface texture (Cordura).

How the threads are assembled to create a textile will also affect its feel. As mentioned above, a knit fabric feels airier, lighter, and looser, and it has more give. A textile made from woven threads—even if they are of the same weight as a knit thread—results in a heavier, more durable, and less airy fabric.

Ultimately, the thread you choose to create a textile with influences the way it feels when it's finished, but the way the threads are assembled within that textile affects the feel and give of the fabric, as well.