Knitting and Weaving Are Structurally Different
To knit is to form fabric from interlocking loops. Woven cloth is built a completely different way.
To knit is to make fabric by interlocking loops of yarn. The difference from weaving is structural, not decorative: knitted fabric is one continuous thread looped through itself, which is why it stretches in every direction and why a broken loop runs. Woven cloth is two sets of threads crossing at right angles, which is stable but barely stretches. *Knit* also means to join or heal, as broken bones knit together.
- To loop yarn. *Knitting a scarf.*
- To join. *The bone knitted.*
- Knitwear. *Knitwear.*
- Close-knit — tightly bound. *A close-knit family.*
- Old English — *cnyttan*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | knit | Knitting. |
| Past | knitted | Knitted. |
| Past | knit | Knit. |
| Noun | knitwear | Knitwear. |
| Related | knot | A knot. |
- She knitted a jumper.Craft.
- The fracture knitted well.Healing.
- A close-knit community.Idiom.
Knitted against woven
- Knitting uses one continuous thread looped through itself
- Weaving crosses two sets of threads at right angles
- Knitted fabric stretches in every direction
- Woven fabric is stable and holds its shape
- A broken loop runs in knitting; woven cloth frays instead
Old English *cnyttan*, to tie in a knot, of Germanic origin, related to *knot*.
How does knitting differ from weaving?
Knitting loops one continuous thread through itself, so it stretches. Weaving crosses two sets of threads, giving a stable fabric.
Why does a knitted garment ladder?
Because the whole fabric is one interlocking thread. Break one loop and the neighbouring loops pull free in sequence.