{"id":492,"date":"2026-10-08T15:57:44","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T07:57:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bestoutofbest.com\/blog\/?p=492"},"modified":"2026-10-08T15:57:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T07:57:44","slug":"are-there-any-differences-in-the-way-knit-and-woven-sweaters-are-made-42d6-8dde18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.bestoutofbest.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/08\/are-there-any-differences-in-the-way-knit-and-woven-sweaters-are-made-42d6-8dde18\/","title":{"rendered":"Are there any differences in the way knit and woven sweaters are made?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey there, thanks for stopping by my little corner of the internet! I\u2019ve been in the knit and woven garments game for over a decade now, and I swear one of the most common questions I get from new buyers is: \u201cWhat\u2019s actually different between a knit sweater and a woven sweater? Is it just the way it looks?\u201d Knit And Woven Garments<\/a><\/p>\n

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Short answer? Nah, it\u2019s way deeper than that. I\u2019ve had a lot of folks mix these two up, especially when they\u2019re just starting out, and it can lead to total missteps on orders\u2014like when someone asked for a \u201clight knit sweater\u201d last year and got a woven cardigan that was way too stiff for what their store\u2019s customers wanted. So today, I wanna break down the real differences in how these two types are made, straight from someone who\u2019s seen the factory floor every single week. Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n

First off, let\u2019s get the basics out of the way\u2014no fancy jargon, I promise. Both knit and woven sweaters start with yarn, right? But that\u2019s pretty much where the thread (pun totally intended) starts to split. Let\u2019s start with knit sweaters first, since that\u2019s what most people picture when they say \u201csweater.\u201d Knitting is all about interlooping one single yarn over and over again, right? You use either knitting machines (90% of the time these days, no one\u2019s hand-knitting bulk orders) or needles to make those little loops called stitches. Every stitch connects to the next one, which is why knit sweaters are stretchy, soft, and have that cozy give.<\/p>\n

Wait, let me tell you how it actually works on the factory floor, \u2018cause I don\u2019t want this to be textbook stuff. When we make a knit sweater, we first load spools of yarn onto a circular knitting machine or a flatbed machine. The machine moves the yarn through hundreds of tiny needles at super fast speeds\u2014like, a circular machine can pump out a full sweater body in 10 minutes, no lie. Those needles pull the yarn into those interlocking loops we talked about. If you look closely at a knit sweater\u2019s inside, you\u2019ll see little v-shaped lines or what looks like a tiny wavy grid\u2014that\u2019s the stitches. And here\u2019s the thing: if one stitch snaps (which rarely happens, but it does), you get a run, right? Like when you snag your favorite sweater on a chair and it goes all the way down. That\u2019s a key trait of knitting.<\/p>\n

Now woven sweaters? Total opposite. Weaving uses two sets of yarns, not just one. They crisscross each other at right angles\u2014think of a grid, with warp yarns going up and down, and weft yarns going left to right. There\u2019s no interlooping here, it\u2019s more like over-under, over-under. And woven stuff isn\u2019t stitched together like knit garments\u2014wait, actually, woven sweaters are often cut from a flat piece of fabric, then sewn together. That\u2019s a huge difference. When I first started, I used to mix up the sewing steps for knit vs woven, but no\u2014knit sweaters are usually made \u201cin the round\u201d so you don\u2019t have side seams, right? Woven sweaters? You cut the panel for the front, the back, the sleeves, then stitch the sides and shoulders together. That\u2019s why woven sweaters have way more seams than most knit ones, unless it\u2019s a super simple style.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about the stretch factor because that\u2019s what matters for your customers. Knit sweaters are stretchy because of those interlocking loops\u2014you can pull them, and they bounce back. That\u2019s why they feel so cozy, like they fit most body types a little better. Woven sweaters? Way less stretch. They\u2019re rigid, structured, hold their shape really well. So if you\u2019re making a blazer-style sweater that you want to keep its sharp lines, woven\u2019s the way to go. But if you\u2019re making a chunky cable knit or a soft turtleneck that you want to move with you, knit is non-negotiable.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s get into construction specifics, \u2018cause this is where the real work happens. For a basic crew neck knit sweater: first, we knit the entire body flat or in the round, then the collar is usually a separate ribbed knit piece that we stitch on at the end, the sleeves are either knit in the round and sewn in, or knit as part of the body (set-in sleeves). No cutting of the main fabric, basically\u2014most of the shaping comes from adjusting stitch count as you knit. Like, to make the shoulders narrower, we reduce the number of stitches at the top when we get to the shoulder area. Super seamless, minimal seams, which is why they feel so soft against your skin.<\/p>\n

Woven sweaters, though? Let\u2019s take a simple cardigan. First, we weave the fabric first\u2014so we have a big flat bolt of woven material, right? Then we lay out the pattern pieces on the fabric, cut them out with industrial cutting machines (or hand cut for small runs, but bulk is machine cut), then we sew them. The front panels, the back panel, the sleeves\u2014each is a separate cut piece, then we stitch the sides, stitch the sleeves into the armholes, stitch the collar on, stitch the buttons on. All those seams add up, and since the fabric isn\u2019t stretchy, those seams need to be super strong, otherwise they\u2019ll split. I\u2019ve seen woven sweaters with busted seams right after one wear \u2018cause the sewing wasn\u2019t done right\u2014knit sweaters rarely have that issue unless the stitches are really thin.<\/p>\n

Another big difference: fabric texture and weight. Knit sweaters can be chunky, fuzzy, light as a feather\u2014think a fine merino wool knit that\u2019s almost like a t-shirt, or a thick cabled knit that\u2019s warm enough for winter. The texture comes from the stitch pattern too\u2014cable stitches, rib stitches, seed stitches, all that is just varying how the needles move to make different loops. Woven sweaters? Their texture comes from the weave pattern\u2014plain weave (super tight, smooth), twill weave (a little diagonal, like denim), satin weave (shiny, silky). You can\u2019t get a cable knit texture with weaving, that\u2019s impossible. I once had a customer ask for a woven cable knit sweater, and I had to be like \u201cSorry, that\u2019s a knit thing\u2014we can do a woven version that looks similar but it won\u2019t have the same stretch.\u201d They ended up going with a knit one and were way happier.<\/p>\n

Durability is another thing we get asked about a lot. A lot of people think knit sweaters pill more, right? And that\u2019s mostly true\u2014because those little loops can catch on things, and the fuzzy fibers on the surface (especially if it\u2019s acrylic or wool) can ball up. But woven sweaters, since they\u2019re a tight grid of crisscrossed yarns, don\u2019t pill as much. But wait\u2014woven sweaters are more prone to tearing along the seams if you pull too hard, while a thin knit might get a run, but it won\u2019t tear the whole panel. I\u2019ve tested this a million times\u2014grab a knit sweater fabric and pull hard, it stretches, maybe a small run. Grab a woven sweater fabric and pull hard, it splits right along the seam line every time. That\u2019s a trade-off, obviously.<\/p>\n

What about use cases? Like, when would you order one over the other? If you\u2019re making casual everyday wear\u2014hoodies, crew necks, cardigans, turtlenecks\u2014knit is the go-to. If you\u2019re making something structured like a sweater blazer, a formal cardigan that needs to hold its shape, a shawl collar sweater that\u2019s crisp, woven is better. I\u2019ve had clients make a whole line of knit sweaters for their holiday collection \u2018cause they\u2019re soft and comfortable for gifting, and another client do woven sweater coats for their winter outerwear line \u2018cause they need to stand up in the wind and keep their structure.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s talk about small vs bulk runs, \u2018cause as a supplier, I know that\u2019s a big pain point for a lot of you. For small runs (like 500 pieces or less), knit can be a little trickier to switch patterns on, \u2018cause the machines are set for a specific stitch count. Woven is easier for small runs because you can cut custom pattern pieces without wasting a ton of fabric if you change designs. For bulk runs (10,000+), knit is way faster\u2014those circular machines crank out sweaters so quick, and since you knit the whole piece, you don\u2019t have to do as much cutting and sewing. Woven bulk runs take longer \u2018cause you have to weave the fabric first, then cut, then sew all the panels. I once quoted a bulk order for 50,000 sweaters, and the knit one was 2 weeks faster to produce than the woven one\u2014huge difference when you\u2019re on a tight deadline for a seasonal drop.<\/p>\n

Oh, and don\u2019t get me started on care, \u2018cause that affects customer satisfaction. Knit sweaters need to be washed more carefully\u2014many are dry clean only, or need to be hand washed and laid flat to dry, \u2018cause if you machine wash them, they can shrink or stretch. Woven sweaters? Most are machine washable, super easy to care for, which is a big selling point for customers who don\u2019t wanna fuss with their sweaters. That\u2019s something I always mention to clients when they\u2019re choosing between the two\u2014if your customer base is people who want low-maintenance clothing, woven is a better pick. If they care about cozy, comfortable fits that move with them, knit is the way.<\/p>\n

Wait, has anyone ever told you that woven sweaters are cheaper? Not always, actually. It depends on the yarn, the stitch, the weave. A chunky hand-knit wool sweater is way more expensive than a basic woven polyester sweater, but a fine merino knit sweater is similar in price to a high-thread-count woven cotton sweater. The cost really comes down to the materials, the complexity of the design, the number of seams, not just if it\u2019s knit or woven. I\u2019ve had knit sweaters that cost less than woven ones \u2018cause we used a cheaper yarn and a simple stitch, and vice versa\u2014no hard rule there.<\/p>\n

Let me share a quick horror story to drive this home, \u2018cause this is real stuff. A few years back, a client came to me asking for \u201cwoven knit sweaters\u201d for their brand, which is a trendy streetwear line. They said they wanted the softness of knit but the structure of woven. I tried to explain that doesn\u2019t exist, but they insisted, so I worked with their design team to make a woven sweater that mimicked knit stitch patterns as closely as possible. But when they got the samples back, their customers hated it\u2014said it felt stiff, didn\u2019t stretch, didn\u2019t fit right. They ended up redoing the whole order as knit, and their sales went up 30% that season \u2018cause customers loved the soft, cozy fit. That\u2019s when I realized how important it is to clear up these differences before someone places an order, \u2018cause miscommunication like that can mess up a whole collection.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

So, to wrap this up (pun again, sorry, can\u2019t help it), the main differences in how they\u2019re made are: knit uses one set of interlooping yarns, woven uses two sets crisscrossing at right angles; knit is usually made in one piece with minimal seams, woven is cut into panels and sewn together; knit is stretchy and soft, woven is structured and low-stretch; production time and cost depend on way more than just the type, but bulk knit runs are usually faster.<\/p>\n

Sun Protective Clothing<\/a> If you\u2019re a brand owner, a boutique buyer, or anyone looking to order knit or woven garments, I can help you figure out what\u2019s best for your needs. I\u2019ve got years of experience working with all types of fabrics, different yarns, different designs, and I can help you avoid the missteps that that client did a few years back. Whether you need a small sample run or a huge bulk order, I\u2019ve got the factory connections and the know-how to get you exactly what you want. If you\u2019re interested in chatting through your next project, just reach out. I\u2019m always down to answer questions, no pressure, just honest advice from someone who\u2019s in the trenches every day.<\/p>\n

References<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. "Textile Production: Knitting vs Weaving." Fashion Institute of Technology, 2022.<\/li>\n
  2. Jones, M. (2021). The Complete Guide to Apparel Manufacturing<\/em>. Fairchild Books.<\/li>\n
  3. "Sweater Construction and Care Guidelines." Textile Institute, 2023.<\/li>\n
  4. Industrial Knitting and Weaving Machinery Handbook. Global Textile Association, 2022.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Yancheng Dezhiwang Garments Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    As one of the most professional knit and woven garments manufacturers and suppliers in China, we also support customized service. We warmly welcome you to wholesale bulk high quality knit and woven garments in stock here from our factory. For price consultation, contact us.
    Address: No. 1, Xinglong Road, Xinqiao Village, Fucheng Subdistrict, Funing County, Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, China
    E-mail: ntchenguangxi@163.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.dzwoutdoor.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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