Blog #5 Weaves and Knits

Weaves and Knits, Fire, and Testing

The YouTube videos that were provided give an explanation of each of the topics. Understand the styles of weaving and knits will help us as Interior designers because we need to be able to decipher these details about textiles in order to choose the best fabric or product for our client and the space.   

The first topic of weaving and knitting is weaving. Weaving is a textile process that makes fabric by interlacing two sets of yarns at right angles. The warp yarns run lengthwise under tension, and the weft yarns are inserted crosswise over and under the warp. A loom is used to hold and manage the warp threads and help push it through shed or temporary gap created between raised and lowered warp threads. Weaving is performed on simple frame looms or complex looms. Weaving types include basic weave or plain weave, and twill weave.

Twill weaving is another topic that is talked about and a variation of weaving that creates a diagonal pattern. While the plain weave is created by alternating one over and one under weave, the twill-weave alternates two over and one under and offsets the pattern by row. 

The next topics are Jacquard weave and Knitting (Weft and Warp). Jacquard weave is considered a specialized weave technique that complex, detailed pattern. The Jacquard weave uses a mechanism to control each warp thread independently, a making it possible to raise and lower individual threads to a pattern. This method allows for virtually any design (floral, geometric, pictorial) to be woven to the surface of the fabric. Knitting (Weft and Warp) creates fabric by forming loops of yarn rather than interlacing threads as in weaving. The Weft knitting method uses a single warn and feeds it across the width of the fabric, forming loops row by row called courses. These are good for horizontal stretchiness and flexibility. Warp knitting uses many parallel running yarns along the fabric's length, and the loops are formed vertically. The needle works with the yarn to produce fabrics that are more stable and less stretchy than weft knits. 

Fire Identification by Burning can identify the type of fiber a textile is made from and observe is flammability through small burns. Burn tests are used to determine the flame behavior, smell, after-effects, etc.. NPFA 260 is the Flammability Standard for Upholstered Furniture. It is a standard method used to evaluate how resistant materials used in upholstered furniture are to ignition from a smoldering cigarette. It is developed by the National Fire Protection Association or NFPA for the safety of interiors and buildings like hospitals, hotels, and other public spaces. This test helps reduce the risk of fires starting from real-world ignition sources like smoldering cigarettes. 

Testing the tensile strength is how you measure the force that a fabric can withstand before breaking or failing. A tensile testing machine is used to grip a fabric sample and pull it apart, measuring strength and elongation. The testing helps to reveal how strong a fabric is in specific directions and can also show how strength changes when the fabric is wet or after being conditioned. The result of the test helps designers select materials for applications where strength and durability are critical (industrial textiles and outdoor applications). Abrasion Testing evaluates how well a fabric resists wear and surface damage from rubbing and friction. The machines that test the material rubs the textile under controlled pressure and motion to show wear. The outcome of the rubbings is determined by number so the higher the number of rubs it can handle the greater durability. 

ONE STEP FURTHER

Overall, testing of textiles is something that stuck out to me. Performance testing uses a range of standardized test to evaluate the function and safety attributes of textiles. It also determines the quality, performance, safety, and durability. This is important for products like clothing, upholstery, and industrial materials. Some of these important testing qualities, are strength testing, flammability resistance, tensile and tear strength, abrasion resistance, smoke toxicity level, oxygen index, etc.. As an interior designer this is important for understanding special tested that are recommended and required to ensure safety and to pick something that will behave how it should in the desired space. The maintenance is also important to understand.