When designing an outfit, the fabrics you choose have a big impact on how your finished piece looks and feels. From the flowy textures of chiffon and georgette to the more structured, durable knit, there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to crafting an outfit. But it’s not until you start comparing and narrowing down the fabric choices that you realise how important picking a material is.
Knitting is a process of interlinking loops of yarn to create a two-dimensional fabric. The loops can either be woven flat like a sheet of cloth or knitted in the round, which is often seen with socks and hosiery. The looping of the yarn gives knitted fabric its elasticity, which makes it very comfortable to wear.
A basic stitch is called a knit stitch, where each yarn loop is secured by locking the previous loops that are suspended from it. Alternating wales of white and red knit stitches form a stockinette stitch, the most common of all knitted fabrics. Each of the alternating loops is secured by the white loops that are suspended from it, which in turn secure the red loops suspended above them, creating an endlessly repeating pattern.
Various point-like ornaments can be added to the basic knit stitch, such as bobbles and sequins, which gives the fabric an extra layer of texture and makes it more decorative. Various patterns can also be created by varying the way in which the knit and purl stitch are executed, such as increasing and decreasing by adding or taking away stitches.
