Fabric 101: ITY Knit
ITY Knit is a type of jersey fabric. ITY means Interlock Twist Yarn, which is the way the individual yarns are knitted together. However, this is not to be confused with interlock knit fabric, since that is a completely separate category of knits to work with.
ITY fabric is constructed in a way that makes it highly stretchy crosswise, and somewhat stretchy lengthwise too, making it a 4-way stretch fabric.
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| Fabric | ITY knit |
|---|---|
| Texture? | Smooth and matte |
| Stretch? | Generally more than 50% stretch crosswise with a small amount of stretch lengthwise. |
| Heavy or light? | Lightweight |
| Stiff or drape? | Slinky drape |
| Nap? | No nap |
| Typical fiber content? | Usually made from polyester or cotton, but it can also be made with rayon, other natural fibers, or a blend of fibers |
| Opaque or sheer? | Mostly opaque, but it’s a thin material and can be semi-sheer sometimes |
| Shiny? | Not shiny |
| Fraying? | It’s a knit fabric and doesn’t fray |
| Pilling? | Resistant to pilling |
| Colors and patterns? | Patterns will be printed on one side of the fabric |
| Other identifying properties? | It’s a type of jersey fabric so the edges will curl when stretched |
| Cool or warm weather? | Generally best for warmer weather clothing because it is a thin fabric |
| What to make? | Flowy designs for dresses, skirts, shirts, and pants. It can be used with other designs that need a highly stretchable fabric |
| What needle to use? | Use a stretch or jersey (ballpoint) needle size 70 or 80 |
What kind of fabric is ITY?
ITY is a type of single-knit jersey fabric. It is made up of a single layer of twisted yarns that are manufactured in a way that gives this fabric a high level of stretchability. The interlocking twist of the yarn also gives the fabric a smoother surface than other types of jersey fabric and helps prevent pilling and pulling of the fibers.
ITY jersey also has a lovely drape to it. The fabric is lightweight enough that it has a flowy, almost ethereal quality, and it’s stretchy and smooth enough that it is quite comfortable to wear.
What can you make with ITY fabric?
ITY fabric is used to make all types of garments. Its flowy drape and lightweight qualities make the fabric a good choice for cute summer dresses and skirts, as well as flowy pants and shirts. The elasticity of the material also makes it a good choice for clothing that requires those stretch qualities, such as leggings and some athletic wear.
Properties of ITY knit fabric
- Texture: ITY is usually a pretty smooth and soft fabric.
- Stretch: ITY is a four-way stretch fabric, meaning it will stretch across both the length and width. However, there is significantly more stretch along the width.
- Weight: ITY jersey is a lightweight fabric. It’s got a floating quality that makes it good for flowy summer dresses and other lightweight garments. ITY is on the lighter and thinner side compared to other types of jersey.
- Drape: ITY has a very lovely drape. It’s almost slinky in the way that it falls around the body
- Fiber composition: Most ITY fabrics are made with polyester yarns or a polyester and spandex mix.
- Opacity: Despite its lightweight qualities, ITY knit fabric is mostly opaque. However, some lighter colors may be semi-sheer.
- Shine: ITY fabric is matte on both sides. Sometimes the smoothness of the fabric will give it a little bit of a sheen when the light hits it just right.
- Fraying: ITY is a knit fabric, and does not fray. You don’t need to finish the edges of the fabric the same way you do for woven fabrics.
- Pilling: As a general rule, ITY fabric is less prone to pilling than most other types of knit fabric. The way the yarns are twisted together gives the fabric a tighter texture that makes it less like to get caught on anything and pull the fibers out of place. That being said, it’s still a knit fabric and is more prone to pilling than most types of woven fabrics.
- Wrinkling: In general, ITY knit fabric is wrinkle-resistant. The polyester and spandex fiber content is also wrinkle-resistant, making it easy to maintain garments made out of ITY knit fabric.
- Breathability: Even though this type of fabric is typically made from polyester, the way that it’s knitted (with the interlocking twist), helps to keep the fabric breathable.
How to sew with ITY fabric
ITY fabric can be frustrating to sew on a standard sewing machine. This is because the fabric tends to stretch out as it goes through the feed teeth of the sewing machine, leaving you with an ugly, wavy seam when you’re finished.
The best way to combat this obstacle is to use a serger (or overlock machine). As a general rule, it’s best to sew knit fabrics, especially high-stretch knit fabrics, with a serger because it helps to feed the fabric through evenly and prevent it from stretching out.
Personally, I do not yet have a serger (I’m still saving up for a nice one). And I can attest that it’s possible to sew ITY and other stretch fabrics with a regular sewing machine, though it can be annoying at times. Try some of these techniques (on a scrap piece of fabric first) to find what works for you and your machine:
- Use a walking foot on your sewing machine
- Use a knit presser foot
- Apply wash-away tape to the seam before sewing
- Place a piece of tissue paper on top of the seam as you sew
Because ITY is a knit fabric, you also need to use special needles. I typically use jersey needles with ITY (since it’s a type of jersey fabric), but any kind of stretch needle is also appropriate. You’ll want to test out which type of needle works best with your particular fabric and machine.
You’ll also need to use a stretch stitch on your sewing machine. This means you’ll need to use the zigzag stitch or the lightning bolt stitch on your machine settings.
With these specialty stitches, you’ll be able to stretch out the fabric along the seam without snapping the thread. It’s especially important to do this on seams that go across the body, like waist seams and tight necklines.
