Weaving

Weaving, process of making a fabric by interlacing 2 or more sets of threads. In plain, or tabby, weave, 1 set of threads (the warp) extends along the length of the fabric; the other set (the woof, or weft) is at right angles to the warp and passes alternately over and under it. Other common weaves include twill, satin, and pile. In basic twill, woof threads pass over 2–4 warp threads, producing diagonal ridges, or wales, as in denim, flannel, and gaberdine. In satin weave, a development of twill, long “float” threads passing under 4 warp threads give the fabric its characteristically lustrous and smooth appearance. Pile fabrics, such as corduroy and velvet, have extra warp or weft threads woven into a ground weave in a series of loops that are then cut to produce the pile. Weaving is usually accomplished by means of a hand- or power-operated machine called a loom. Warp threads are stretched on a frame and passed through eyelet in vertical wires (heddles) supported on a frame (the harness). A space (the shed) between sets of warp threads is made by moving the heddles up or down, and a shuttle containing the woof thread is passed through the shed. A special comb (the reed) then pushes home the newly woven line.