Knits, knits, knits !!!

Knits are one of the scariest materials to work with for beginning seamstresses. Knits stretch and slide when you sew with them but practice and patience can help create some of the longest lasting and commonly worn garments you will ever make.

I have written a guest blog post for Sofilantjes about overcoming "Sewing with Knits" using the Sofilantjes Omni Tempore kid's pattern.

This post will review the differences between the most widely used knit fabrics. I have designed the bullet points below for a quick list and review of knits.

• Jersey knit: Most commonly used, best for tees and summer dresses. Can be made of wool, cotton, and synthetic materials. Best to use cotton. 
• Cotton Lycra: also used for tees. Material is made of cotton with a small percentage of lycra, or spandex. Soft to the touch, good stretch and recovery. This is typically the type of material used to make custom knits. 
• Cotton ribbing: This can also be used for t-shirts and other clothing items but is limited to making cuffs, waistbands, and collars for garments. This is a double knit material with vertial rows. (Think men's sleeveless undershirts.)
• Cotton Thermal: Cotton knit with a waffle pattern. This is best used for garments worn during cooler weather. 
• French terry: Think terry cloth. This is a soft fabric. One side of the fabric is flat jersey-like while the other side has a higher pile. I recommend using this fabric for light-weight sweaters.
• Sweatshirt knit: This one is easy to identify because it is how it sounds. This knit is the fabric used to make stretchy sweaters, like the typical store-bought hooded, zip-up, or crewneck sweaters.
• Sweater Knit:
• Hacci: These knits are light-weight stretchy materials. They are best for cardigans, light-weight shawls, and kimonos. Wrinkle resistant. 
• Ponte de Roma: This knit has more structure to it, It is similar to the knit fabric used in store-bought polo shirts. Wrinkle and crease resistant. 

Recommended Sources for Knits

• Fabric.com
• GirlCharlee
• Whimsical Fabrics
• Fabric Fairy
• Sincerely Rylee  Fabric Shop
• Peek-a-boo Patterns and Fabrics
• Fabric Stache
• Facebook Groups
• Peek-a-boo Fabric Shop
• Sincerely Rylee Fabric Shop
• Pretty Posh Prints
• Fabric Stache
• BackStitch Fabrics
• Wanderlust Designs Custom Fabrics

(upon receiving an order from a retail store I originally listed, I had to remove the retailer. Retail knit arrived saturated in the cigarette smoke. Lesson learned!)

***This is really a short list in comparison to the number of fabric resources that are available. I recommend visiting your local fabric stores in support of small business.

*** Also, feel free to ask me here if you are searching for a particular fabric or need any sewing help. I will do my best to help.