Weaving and knitting

31 lines that use it

What it looks like on the line

• Bath towelWeave the loop pile. One warp runs at normal tension and one loose. Two picks go in with a light beat and a small gap left, then a heavy third beat drives all three home and the loose warp buckles up into loops.
• Silk tieWeave and dye the cloth. Looms weave stripes, twills or woven patterns, or a plain cloth is printed afterward. The yarn is dyed before weaving or the finished cloth is dyed or printed.
• SilkWeave and dye. Mills weave the thread into fabric and then dye it. Producers in Thailand bleach their yellow silk in tubs of hydrogen peroxide before dyeing.
• ZipperWeave the tape. Narrow fabric tape is woven in long ribbons. The tape is what is sewn into the garment, so it needs to be sturdy and to take dye.
• UnderwearKnit the cloth. Yarn goes onto knitting machines and comes off as stretchy cloth, with elastic fiber running through it. A one-piece knit line runs high-speed circular machines instead, and one attendant can watch 5 or 6 of them.
• RopeBraid a jacket instead. For braided rope, an even number of strands, often eight or twelve, are braided into a round tube. In kernmantle rope, a braided sheath wraps a core of long twisted fibers that provides most of the strength.
• RaincoatWeave the face fabric. Nylon or polyester yarn is woven into a tough, tightly packed cloth. The weave is the first barrier water meets, and it supports the membrane behind it.
• DenimWeave a warp-faced twill. The weft passes under two or more warp threads at a time, which makes a diagonal ribbing. Most denim today is woven on shuttleless looms, and some on old shuttle looms that produce a narrower bolt with a tidy edge called selvedge.
• AirbagWeave the nylon cloth. Tough nylon yarn is woven into a tight, strong fabric. A loose weave would leak the gas, and a weak one would tear.
• Wool blanketWeave a wide cloth. A wide loom interlaces the yarn into a heavy cloth. A single blanket can need 1,300 warp threads, and the loom is programmed for the yarn and pattern.
• Dress shirtWeave the poplin cloth. Looms interlace the yarn over and under in a tight pattern. Dress-shirt weaves are fine and flat, so the cloth drapes cleanly and takes a crisp crease.
• FlagWeave the flag cloth. Nylon or polyester yarn is woven into a light, strong cloth. A flag has to survive wind, sun and rain, so the cloth is tightly woven and tough.