Knitting fabrics are a great alternative to woven fabrics, especially when making winter clothes and accessories. While you can create hats, sweaters, socks, and other knit goods by knitting them on needles, many companies use knit fabrics and sew up the clothing instead. Regardless of how the garment is made, it basically looks the same, and these garments are very popular for a variety of goods. If you have seen some great knit fabrics in the store that capture your attention, maybe you want to know what you can make with them, or maybe you want to know how to use them. Either way, continue reading for plenty of ideas and instructions on using these fabrics.
Garments Made with Knitting Fabrics
There are many garments that work really well made with knit fabrics. Some advantages to using knit fabric in your garments include:
• Better drape
• More stretch in the fabric
• Better resistance to tearing
How to Knit Increases
If you’re considering using a fabric that is knit to complete a project, some garments that are ideal include sweaters, scarves, hats, slippers, leg warmers, socks, ear warmers, mittens, and just about anything else that could also be made with knitting.
While knit fabrics are usually made out of wool, they can also be made out of cotton, acrylic, bamboo, or a blend of several types of fiber. Each type of fiber will result in a different look, making them ideal for different types of projects. However, due to the thickness and warmth of most knit fabric, it is best used for garments to be worn in cooler weather. The only real exception to this is if the fabric is made from a thin cotton fiber, it may be breathable enough for warmer weather. It is all a personal preference.
How to Use Knitting Fabric
If you’ve bought fabric that’s already knit in a store and you are unsure how to use it, that’s understandable. After all, it’s pretty common knowledge that if you cut a garment that has been knit, it will unravel pretty quickly. However, the difference between machine made knit fabric and knitting done by hand is that the machine made knit fabric is made with a different strand of yarn for each needle, which makes it much harder to unravel than traditional knitting.
So, knowing that it is less likely to unravel, you can easily cut through commercial knitting fabric and sew it into a garment without worrying. The only thing to take into consideration when doing this is the thickness of the fabric. You need to make sure that your sewing machine and thread are adequate to form a strong enough seam in your work that it doesn’t snap easily.
How to Make Your Own Fabric
Many DIY crafters prefer to make things themselves rather than buying it in a store. If you want to make knit garments without purchasing fabric from the craft store, you can make it yourself.
Creating knit fabric can be as simple as casting on your stitches and knitting on regular knitting needles. It will take considerably more time to do it this way, but it is possible.
Another option if you don’t want to learn to knit is to purchase a knitting machine made for individual use. These are not as big or expensive as the knitting machines used by big companies. There is a learning curve but once you’ve figured it out, you’ll be able to make your own knitting fabric in no time at all.
Knit goods are all the rage these days. Everyone wants a nice knit sweater or hat. However, hand-knit goods can be costly, and not everyone has the budget for these items. If you want a sweater or other garment that has that nice knit look without breaking the bank, consider making something yourself the old fashioned way. If you don’t know how to knit, or don’t have the time to learn, you can also consider using fabric from the store and a sewing machine. With commercial knitting fabric, you can save time, money, and frustration. The best part is that the end result will still be a beautiful knit garment that you made yourself!
Related Posts
