Curious About Knit Fabrics?

We currently have a gorgeous range of knit fabric in store and know from the questions we receive that it can be a bit overwhelming knowing what is best for you and your project. We have broken them down by the different types of knits and how they differentiate from each other.

Like any of our fabrics, if you are shopping online, we recommend that you order a sample to make sure you are happy with what you are purchasing. 

Jersey Knit Fabrics

We have a beautiful range of jersey knit fabrics including Organic Jersey Knit fabric available in a range of lovely colours. It is really soft, has great recovery and is perfect for layering with other items of clothing or as soft summer tops. 

Our organic jersey fabric is created when a fine cotton yarn is combined with elastane  and machine knitted together. Because it is knitted as opposed to woven, it gives the fabric stretch and the elastane gives it good recovery (which means the fabric bounces back to its original shape). A pattern will often specify the percentage of stretch that it requires. Most of our jersey knits have approximately 70% stretch across the fabric. 

Jersey Fabrics are ideal for;

• T-shirts
• Leggings
• Turtle necks
• Tops
• Underwear

We recommend using a jersey needle when sewing on your machine. The needle has a slightly rounder ballpoint that will not damage the fibres of the fabric. Always test on a scrap piece of fabric before sewing your main fabric.  Your machine, thread, fabric, and layers will all influence what needle is best for the job.

Interlock Knit Fabric

Our Organic Interlock Knit fabric is thicker than the Jersey and also has great recovery, while still being lovely and soft.

Interlock knit is different to Jersey because of the way it is constructed. It is knitted with one stitch behind the other and the two sides interlaced together, rather like a double layer but it can't be separated. The result is a thicker and more stable stretch fabric where both sides of the fabric are smooth, the same as the 'right' side of a Jersey fabric.

Interlock Knit Fabrics are perfect for;

• Learning to sew with knits
• Dresses
• Tops
• T-shirts
• Sweaters

Sideline Jersey

Another option is our Sideline Jersey, which is thicker than the jersey and reminiscent of the rugby jerseys of old. It has approximately 15% stretch as it is 100% cotton with no elastane, so has some stretch but not as much as the jersey or interlock knit.  It is perfect for rugging up to watch winter sports from the sideline!Sideline Jersey is lovely as;

• Track top 
• Sweaters
• Long sleeve T-shirts
• Casual trousers (we've made a pair of Tula Pants)

French Terry

Our French Terry is lighter than some french terry and has a looped back, not a brushed back. It is a very popular fabric and is often used for sweatshirts. The loops on the inside are soft and the outside of the fabric is smooth, it gives a lovely drape and is also warm and comfortable to wear. Our French Terry has an elastane in it giving it approximately 25% stretch across the fabric. 

French Terry is great for;

• Cardigans
• Sweatshirts
• Trousers
• Tracksuit bottoms

Cotton Rib Knit

It might surprise you to find that our Cotton Rib Knit is a quite a versatile knit fabric and can be used for more than just cuffs, collars and waistbands. Rib fabric is made differently from a jersey fabric resulting in raised and lowered rows. This gives the fabric great recovery and stretch. 

We have two types of rib fabric that are available on the roll, our 2x2 Cotton Rib which has 5% Elastane in it and the heavier and slightly sturdier Corded Cotton Rib which has a more visible rib.

Cotton rib can be used for:

• Jumpers
• T-shirts
• Dresses
• Skirts
• Cuffs and Collars

We used the Cotton Corded Rib in our sewing review of the Megan Nielsen Jarrah Sweater. You can read the pattern review and see what it looks like sewn as a garment and not just as a trim. 

We also stock a fantastic selection of pre-cut strips of 2x2 rib that are suitable for cuffs and collars - a great way to add a fun finishing touch to a garment.  These can be used on both knit or woven garments. 

Cuff Ribbing can be used to trim:

• Jackets
• T-shirts
• Dresses
• Sweaters

Sewing With Knits

Did you know that you don't need an overlocker to sew with knits? It can be done on a standard home sewing machine. Often your sewing machine will have what is called a 'lightning' stitch on it which is designed for knit fabrics.

However the zig zag stitch works just as well, just test it out so that it isn't too wide. The great thing about knit fabrics is that they don't need finishing as they don't fray like a woven fabric. 

Patterns Ideal for Knits

We have a whole section on our pattern page of the website that are patterns that are ideal for knit fabrics, you can narrow the selection to either pattern type or brand if you have a pattern company preference. 

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