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Take a look at the next T-shirt you put on. Or socks.

• MikeTheGreat 1y ago
  Can I ask you to expand on this? I've never worn knit socks, and I don't think I've ever seen a knit T-shirt, so I'm not quite sure what to look for (or at) :)
  • Wingman4l7 1y ago
    You've likely worn knit socks and T-shirts -- they're machine-knit. A lot of clothing is knit, not woven. Fabric does not have to use big and chunky threads to be knit; the loops can be quite a small gauge in size.
    • MikeTheGreat 1y ago
      Ah - that makes sense. I was thinking of hand-knit clothing, which (as you say) tends to be big enough and chunky enough that you can see the stitches. TIL - thanks :)
      • eru 1y ago
        You can take a magnifying glass to any old t-shirt you have around. Or these days, you can also just take a snapshot with your smartphone and zoom in. Compare with what you see on jeans and dress shirts, polo shirts, dress pants, socks, etc. It's quite interesting.
  • mrob 1y ago
    I don't think I've ever seen socks or T-shirts that weren't (machine) knitted. Knitting produces more stretchy fabric than weaving so it's better for garments that fit closely.
    • eru 1y ago
      Yes. Dress shirts and jeans are common examples of woven fabrics. There are also some technical fabrics that are neither woven nor knitted (nor crocheted) fabrics. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonwoven_fabric https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonwoven_fabric