| Once the fiber has been turned into yarn the process | | | | either side of the loom with one hand, and across a |
| of making cloth is much the same for any type of | | | | greater width. The invention of the drop box allowed a |
| fibre, be it animal or plant. | | | | weaver to use multiple shuttles to carry different |
| Knitting Knitting by hand is a trend that is slowly | | | | wefts. |
| growing throughout the United States. Commonly | | | | After passing a weft thread through the warp, a reed |
| knitted goods are scarfs (both decorative and | | | | comb used to beat (compact) the woven weft. |
| functional), sweaters, socks and shawls. Hand knitting | | | | Rather than having to lift each thread individually, |
| can either be done "flat" or "in the round". Flat knitting is | | | | alternate threads can be separated by introducing a |
| done on a set of single point knitting needles, and the | | | | bar between the threads: the gap created is called the |
| knitter goes back and forth, adding rows. | | | | shed. While an inserted bar only presents one |
| In Circular knitting, or "knitting in the round", the knitter | | | | orientation, alternating sets of threads can be lifted by |
| knits around a circle, creating a tube. This can be done | | | | connecting them with string or wires called heddles to |
| with either double pointed needles or a circular needle. | | | | another bar, called the shaft (or heddle bar or heald). |
| Since knitting in essence is pulling one row of loops of | | | | Heddles, shafts and the couper (lever to lift the |
| yarn through another row, a knitted object will unravel | | | | assembly) are called the harness — the |
| easily if the top has not been secured. Knitted objects | | | | harness provides for mechanical operation using foot- |
| also stretch easily in all directions, whereas woven | | | | or hand-operated treadles. |
| fabric only stretches on the bias. | | | | (Multiple harnesses can be used, connected to |
| Crochet Crocheting differs largely from knitting in that | | | | different sets of warp threads in a draw-loom.) Sleying |
| there is only one loop, not the multitude as knitting has. | | | | is the process of threading the warp yarn through the |
| Also, instead of knitting needles, a crochet hook is | | | | reed. Usually one speaks of "sleying the reed". You set |
| used. Other than that it is vaguely similar, and is often | | | | (verb) the warp at X ends per inch and then you can |
| mistaken for knitting. Lace is commonly crocheted, as | | | | say that its sett (noun) is X ends per inch. |
| well as a large variety of other items. | | | | Process The first step in weaving is to make a warp, |
| Lace A lace fabric is lightweight openwork fabric, | | | | the threads that run lengthwise perpendicular to you. |
| patterned, with open holes in the work. The holes can | | | | By hand this is done with the help of a warping board. |
| be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a | | | | The length the warp is made is about a quarter to half |
| previously woven fabric, but more often lace is built up | | | | yard more than the amount of cloth they will be able |
| from a single thread and the open spaces are created | | | | to get off the loom, because of waste at the beginning |
| as part of the lace fabric. | | | | and end. Since with smaller lengths of warp means a |
| Weaving The earliest weaving was done without a | | | | higher percentage of wasted yarn, and since threading |
| loom, but that is rare now. | | | | the loom can be tedious, most weavers put on many |
| Loom In general the supporting structure of the loom is | | | | yards at a time. The weaver decides what length of a |
| called the frame. | | | | warp to put on the loom, then measures it out on the |
| The frame provides the means of fixing the | | | | warping board. Warping boards come in a variety of |
| length-wise threads, called the warp, and keeping them | | | | shapes, from the two nearest door handles to a board |
| under tension. When producing a long piece of material, | | | | with pegs on it, or a tall umbrella swift like device. |
| the warp threads are wound on a roller called a beam, | | | | Machine processing: fabric formation Knitting Knitting by |
| and attached to the cloth beam which will serve to | | | | machine is done in two different ways; warp and weft. |
| hold the finished material. Because of the tension the | | | | Weft knitting is what can be seen in the pictures, and |
| warp threads are under, they need to be strong. | | | | is how hand knitting is done. The cloth is made from |
| The thread that is woven through the warp is called | | | | one yarn and the stitches are all connected to each |
| the weft. The weft is threaded through the warp using | | | | other horizontally. In a warp knit there are many pieces |
| a shuttle, which carries the weft through separated | | | | of yarn and there are vertical chains, zigzagged |
| warp threads. The original hand-loom was limited in | | | | together by crossing the yarn. |
| width by the weaver's reach, because of the need to | | | | Warp knits do not stretch as much as a weft knit, and |
| throw the shuttle from hand to hand. The invention of | | | | it is run-resistant. A weft knit is not run-resistant, but |
| the flying shuttle with its fly cord and picking sticks | | | | stretches more and is slightly more common. The |
| enabled the weaver to pass the shuttle from a box at | | | | average t-shirt is a weft knit. |