Footer - what kind of fabric is it and its features

I want to tell you as interesting as possible about this type of knitwear, so I won’t delve too deeply into the history of its origin. Let me just say that the first “traces” of knitwear were found in ancient Egypt in the 3rd-1st centuries. BC.

In different centuries AD, Archaeologists also often came across knitted items of hand knitting, including knitting in the round (like a sock). But the first officially registered knitting machine appeared in England. The priest fell in love with a knitting girl who, due to her large amount of work, could not go on dates with him. William Lee set out to create a machine that could do the work of ten people, and he succeeded.

In the middle of the 19th century, mass production of terry fabric, a fabric with a loop structure, began, and at the beginning of the 20th century, a knitted version of terry fabric appeared, which was made from 100% cotton. The new knitted fabric is called footer, based on the type of interlacing of threads. Later, they learned to add viscose, polyester, lycra and spandex to the footer fabric, and then footer products, thanks to their remarkable properties, conquered literally the whole world.

How is footer made?

On an industrial scale, knitwear, of course, is not knitted on knitting needles. There are special machines with needles - hooks. The thread is laid on them with a carriage, the hooks are lowered down, knitting one loop row of stockinette stitch. It's more interesting with a footer.

To obtain a loop structure on the wrong side, an additional thread is placed on the needles of an already knitted row in a certain order. It is usually thicker than the warp thread.

History of fabric, process of its production

So, looped footer: what kind of fabric is it and when did it appear? The history of knitwear (namely, the footer loop belongs to them), according to archaeological data, begins in the period from the 1st to the 3rd centuries. BC e. A little later, the peoples of the Middle East learned to make them, and in the 16th century this material began to be produced in Europe. The type of footer that we know was developed approximately between the 17th and 19th centuries. In essence, a loop footer is regular knitwear, but with two additional threads woven into the base. They are called lining, their texture is looser due to weak twisting. Adding lining threads is called lining and allows you to get a fabric with a smooth front side and a looped (see photo) back.

Footer composition

Footer, like any other knitwear, can vary greatly in composition. From 100% cotton to 100% polyester. The most common compositions are 70-80% cotton and 30-20% polyester. Synthetic fibers in the composition improve the quality of cotton, eliminating the main disadvantages - creasing, strong stretchability. Knitwear, which contains 20-30% polyester, does not stretch on the knees.

There is also another popular composition - 92-95% cotton and 8-5% lycra. This composition is used in a 2-thread footer and a cooler. While retaining all the best properties of cotton, elastane brings its own advantages - elasticity and strength.

Such different knitwear

Not only footers are used to provide us with high-quality, durable and pleasant to wear things. Other types of knitwear are also produced, having both similar properties and differences.

• Kulirka (kulirka) – cotton or mixed (with the addition of up to 10% lycra or polyester) cross-weave knitwear. On the front side there is a pronounced relief - “braids”, the reverse side is checkerboard. It is considered the thinnest knitwear, suitable for sewing linen and summer clothes (mainly for children). A lycra waistcoat is more elastic than a cotton one, which only stretches in width. It costs less than footer (from 170 rubles per linear meter).

  
  Children's products are sewn from the kulirka. This is the thinnest type of knitwear. Products made from it are beautiful and weightless.

• Ribana - also knitwear, knitted with knit and purl loops, due to which the surface is the same on both sides - “elastic” (single or double). Usually 100% cotton, but sometimes Lycra is added (5%). Ribana is used for children's and casual wear; it is elastic and keeps its shape. It costs more than a cooler, about the same as a two-thread footer (from 260 rubles per shoulder strap).

• Interlock is cotton knitwear without additives, with an interesting weave of the fabric. The fabric is double-sided (the same on the front and back), quite elastic, keeps its shape. When compared to footer, interlock is inferior in density, it has 180 - 220 g/m², so it is not as warm. A detailed description of interlock fabric can be found here. Rather, it is closer to the cooler; clothes for children and adults, tracksuits, even bedding sets and curtains are made from it. However, it will not be suitable for sweatshirts and similar warm items, for which manufacturers readily use footer. The price of interlock, rib and footer (two-thread) is approximately the same (from 260 rubles for shoulder straps). But a three-thread footer costs 420 rubles per linear meter.

All the fabrics listed have similar characteristics, and the cost is not much different. The advantage of the footer is that it is much warmer; neither ribbed, nor interlock, nor kulirka will keep you warm in cold weather.

Footer is actively used when sewing children's and adult knitwear: at the Ivanovo knitting factory “Marisha”, as well as in Ivanovo at the company “Serenada”, which can be read about at the link).

Footer care rules

The footer does not require special care conditions, but it is better to follow a few simple rules:

• do not wash in hot water. Cotton may shrink and the synthetic fibers in the composition may lose their properties. The item will not be 100% damaged, but the appearance after such washing can change very significantly. It is better to wash at a temperature of 30-40 degrees.
• do not use mechanical friction or minimize it. If a stain appears on your favorite item, you don’t need to rub it against your face with all your might. Determine the nature of the stain and select a non-aggressive stain remover. Some fresh stains can be easily removed with running water. For example, blood stains are under running cold water, and berries are under running hot water.
• do not twist while spinning. Do not use the twisting method to spin dry. Most likely, the product will no longer have its original appearance after such drying.

Advantages and disadvantages, care features

We’ve sorted out the basic information about looped footer (what kind of fabric it is). Now about its pros and cons. As we have already noted, the material is resistant to deformation. In addition, it is warm, breathable, does not accumulate static (with the exception of synthetic varieties), does not wrinkle and does not require ironing. The finished product made from loop footer fits well, is very pleasant to the body, and is worn for quite a long time.

There are few disadvantages, but they exist:

• 100% cotton material, the footer loop may shrink after the first wash. If you sew yourself, when calculating the amount of fabric, allow at least 15% for shrinkage.
• When exposed to high temperatures, for example, when ironing or drying on a radiator, the product may become deformed.
• The densest types of footer - loops - are not very convenient in the sewing process, since not all machines pass through thick hems well.

How to care for material with a looped base:

• Wash on delicate cycle at low temperature.
• Dry naturally, away from radiators and not under the sun.
• Use a mild detergent.

All tips for washing fabrics are in the “Care” section.

Application area of ​​fabric

Different methods for producing footer make it possible to obtain fabrics with different properties, the range of which is very wide. The following products are made from footer:

• clothing for newborns and children up to three years old;
• diapers
• robes;
• shirts;
• sweatshirts and sweaters;
• sportswear.

This versatile use is also due to the fact that the footer does not cause irritation both in infants with delicate skin unprotected from external influences, and in people prone to allergies.

Types of footer

Footer is woven in three ways:

1. The single-thread method allows you to achieve thin fabric, which is suitable for products in direct contact with the body (for example, for sewing children's clothing - soft and delicate to the touch).
2. When using the two-thread method, a dense pile is formed on the inside, while synthetic materials are added to the lining threads, allowing the products to hold their shape and stretch for a long time. This is an excellent material for sports and casual wear.
3. Three-thread footer is the densest and most durable type of fabric, and whether clothing made from such material stretches or not depends on the amount of additives in the form of lycra or polyester.

The densest three-thread footer can contain up to 20% synthetic additives. Considering that even products made from single-strand footer with a density of 170-190 grams per meter hold their shape well and are worn for a long time, clothing made from footer woven in three threads can be considered one of the most durable and at the same time elastic.

Care instructions

If care rules are not followed, the fabric quickly breaks down and becomes deformed, which affects its properties. You can wash the footer by hand or by machine, but it is important not to exceed the water temperature (no more than 30°). The exception is fabric with a density higher than 300 grams per meter (temperatures up to 50° are allowed).

When washing, you need to consider the following nuances:

• Colored items require delicate liquid products or special powder, while clothes made from white footer can be washed with regular powder without any consequences.
• Before machine washing, clothes must be turned right side out and all buttons fastened. The inner fabric is sensitive to interaction with locks, buttons and other hard elements, so if the product does not fasten or is difficult to turn out, it is better to wash such items separately.
• Automatic spinning of the footer in a washing machine is acceptable, but drying should be done only in natural conditions without direct sunlight on the clothes.
• Boiling footer clothing may damage the product.

Items dried after washing can be ironed in the “cotton” mode (for high-density items) and in the delicate mode for footer clothing with a density of up to 200 grams per meter.

Description and properties of fabric

Initially, loop footer was created only from cotton fibers, but now various fibers are added to the composition to improve performance properties. One of them is wool, thanks to this composition the fabric becomes warm. Wool footer is used for sewing jackets, sweatshirts, etc.

It also contains synthetic fibers - polyester and lycra. Thanks to such components, the material becomes elastic and wear-resistant. Women's dressing gowns, sportswear and casual wear are made from this fabric. Children's clothing is created from completely natural cotton material.

Footer is a universal material with a wide range of uses. It is used to make clothes for children and adults, things for all seasons of the year, clothes for sports and everyday wear. Long service life with proper care will give you the opportunity to wear your favorite things until you get bored with them.

Reviews

Nina: All my home clothes are knitted, but I like that all my clothes don’t look washed out or stretched. Therefore, at one time I opted for a looped footer, what kind of fabric was it, I first heard reviews about it from girls at work. Well, as it usually happens, everyone has it and I need it. In the end, I was satisfied, I really like the quality of the things, the price for them is also adequate, in principle.

Darina: I’ve been familiar with the loop footer for a long time, ever since those gray melange turtlenecks that were so popular in the 90s and early 2000s. They seemed to be made of pure cotton, or with a small amount of synthetics. Now I use it for home suits and pajamas for myself and my child. It wears well and feels good to wear. The only thing is that it’s not always possible to find colors that you really like.

Irinka: My daughter has all sorts of home clothes from this loop and a lot of everyday clothes too: turtlenecks, blouses, sundresses, trousers. The clothes are warm enough, the body breathes in them, and the child generally likes them. I don’t really bother with washing, I just throw it in the machine, regular powder, “quick wash” mode.

Characteristics and composition

Usually, footer means fabric consisting of 100% cotton, but often, to save money and to increase strength, footer is produced with the addition of other materials:

• wool;
• polyester;
• lycra;
• other synthetic materials.

Lycra footer, unlike other types, is more often used for casual wear: the addition of this material makes the fabric more elastic and wear-resistant. For outerwear, brushed footer is used, adding silk to the fabric, but the main disadvantage of such products is shrinkage after washing.

Depending on the percentage of additional materials in its composition, the footer can have a density from 170 to 350 grams per meter. But any type of footer is more durable compared to other cotton fabrics.