The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Knitting Wear Wholesale

Regardless of the nature of the sewing project you are starting, big or small, retail or wholesale, the fabric that you choose is the one key factor that can make all the difference.

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You can consider it the core of your project, it is something that could alone make your project a success or a failure. Over the years, we have received many requests for advice about how to choose the right fabric for a project, and we understand that it can be a difficult decision, especially because this decision is actually the most critical.

In order to make the answers to these questions more accessible, we have created this guide which should be helpful in most cases, if not all. After reading this guide, you will find it easier to pick the right fabric for the right project, amongst hundreds of fabrics.

Make sure your project is clearly defined

Your project might seem straightforward to you, and it is a fact that nobody knows your project better than you do. But in the context of a fabric business, there is a blueprint with several aspects that you need to be aware of the following:

The scale and the budget of your project

If you only need 1 to 4 yards of fabric and/or if you have a budget under $50, we suggest that you purchase your fabric from a local store. We encourage you to go experience how the fabrics feel to the touch, to meet the store owner or a salesperson, just like you would buy anything else.

If your project is larger and require a higher quantity of fabric, then it's necessary that you find a reliable supplier with bulk order prices, and that can provide international shipping services. When you order from NBprintex, you'll enjoy wholesale prices for all custom print fabrics, readily-printed fabrics, and solid fabrics. We also offer free shipping for quantities under 25 yards, which makes the process of sampling cost-effective.

Do your research

Don't worry too much about it. It's not research that will require you to spend a lot of time and energy. What you'll need to do, is to go to apparel stores, to feel the fabrics that you like, look at the labels, get the composition of the fabrics, as well as other useful information. If you do that, not only you will know the types of fabrics you are looking for in the context of your own business, but this process will also tell you which fabrics are currently trending in the market. Additionally, you can focus your research on styles that are similar to the style of your project. For example, if you are looking at fabrics for a blouse, you can just go to clothing stores and look for the types of fabrics that are typically used for blouses.

Feel the fabrics

Making a decision is not easy when you lack confidence, so a sample pack is the perfect solution if you have trouble finding your fabric. The sample pack will make it easier for you to get an idea of the kind of fabric you are looking for. Alternatively, feel free to get in touch and give us as much information as you can about the products you want to create, and we will suggest appropriate fabrics for your project.

Narrow your search

One of the most efficient ways to get the fabric that you want is to use the filters on our fabrics page. We provide you with several ways to make your final decision:

Filter by weaving method. As you know, there are only two weaving techniques. Choosing between woven and knit is usually easy, as they are so different techniques. In fact, you probably already know which one you want to use.

But just in case, here is a quick refresher course:

Woven fabrics are usually less stretchy. The yarns are crossing each other at right angles to form the grain. As shown in the image, the yarns go left and right, or up and down.

Knitted fabrics are basically a series of loops. This knitting method makes the fabric more likely to be stretchy.

Filter by weight. The unit of measure is "gsm", which means grams per square meter.

Fabrics at 50gsm or less are usually very sheer, and can be see-through. Materials with such weights are generally used for scarves, linings etc.

Fabrics at 50-200gsm are thicker and are perfect for tops, dresses and skirts, blouses etc.

Fabrics at 200gm and above are heavier and may be used for jackets, outwear, and even as decoration materials.

By this point, you should have narrowed your search results by at least 50% of our fabrics.

Filter by material. If you are looking for beautiful and durable synthetic fibers, we suggest that you go with polyester. If you prefer natural fibers, then you should choose cotton or linen. If you'd like to convey a sense of luxury, then choose silk.

There is a full range of fabrics (custom, printed and solid) for you to choose from.

Pay attention to the fabric features

In the details page of each fabric, you will see that it has features with star-based ratings, five stars being the best. The features are: thickness, brightness, water absorption, softness, breathability, and transparency. You can evaluate each fabric based on these features.

Additional tips for choosing the right fabric

Never use polyester for clothing meant for babies, particularly for summer clothing. Due to the nature of polyester, it's not as breathable as cotton, linen or other natural fabrics.

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Women usually prefer polyester as these fabrics are flowy, drapey, and tend to look better on them. Men don't have a particular preference.

Silk requires special care, and a particular washing protocol. Make sure that you are using "cool" water or the colors will bleed and can never be recovered.

We hope this guide has been useful and that it will help you choose the appropriate fabric for your project. Don't hesitate to contact us if you need more guidance or more information.

Wool is a fiber that comes from sheep, and it’s the classic choice for hand knitting. Wool has a reputation for being warm, and it also wicks moisture and has a unique fiber structure that allows it to remain warm even when soaking wet. Wools with more crimp and thickness to the fiber, such as our beloved Peruvian wool, are incredibly hard wearing, but wools can also be decadently soft and delicate, like Merino, which is explained in more detail below. Wool makes lovely cables, lace that can be precisely blocked, and beautiful simple stitches. It also grips to itself, which makes neat colorwork achievable with less effort, allows for steeking, and makes unintentionally dropped stitches easier to get back on the needle. Wool can also be felted to create a dense, solid, structural fabric.

Fiber: Merino Wool

Ideal Season: Fall, Winter, Spring

Care: Hand wash cold and lay flat to dry

Favorite Yarns: High Desert, Swish, Stroll

Merino is a specific breed of sheep that is famous for its incredibly soft fleece. It’s one of the softest wools on the market, and it’s considered a luxury wool. Many people who find other wool scratchy can happily wear Merino wool. Like most extra soft fibers, Merino can pill, or form balls of fluff, when it’s frequently worn due to the shorter length of those fibers, so it’s not recommended for pieces that will be put to heavy use like a fisherman’s sweater, but for everyday knits, this is easily solved with a sweater shaver or by choosing a Merino blended with a stronger fiber like nylon. Aside from not being as hard wearing as less-soft wools, Merino shares all the attributes listed above for wool.

Fiber: Superwash Wool

Ideal Season: Fall, Winter, Spring

Care: Machine washable

Favorite Yarns: Swish, Wool of the Andes Superwash, Stroll

Superwash wool is wool that has undergone a special process to either strip the natural scales from the wool or permanently secure them down so that the wool can no longer be felted. This creates a wool that has a slightly slicker feel as well as a softer drape than natural wool and can go in the washing machine. In addition to the added convenience, it maintains its wicking properties as well as the lovely stitch definition, ability to block lace, and bouncy cables. Superwash wool does occasionally stretch, particularly when allowed to hang while wet, but it typically returns to its prior shape after being dried in a dryer until it's barely damp and then reshaped and allowed to dry flat.

Fiber: Alpaca

Ideal Season: Winter

Care: Hand wash cold and lay flat to dry

Favorite Yarns: Andean Treasure, Alpaca Cloud, Wonderfluff

Like you might guess from the name, alpaca fibers come from the alpaca animal! One of the warmest natural fibers available, alpaca fibers have a hollow core that helps hold in even more warmth! It’s also incredibly soft, making it one of our favorite choices for winter accessories that sit close to the skin, like scarves or hat linings. It’s graded by the size of the fiber, and the smaller it is the softer! The finest rating of alpaca is called baby alpaca, and the next finest rating is superfine. Both of these ratings are true luxury fibers. Like wool, alpaca fiber can felt, so it needs to be washed with care, but it differs from sheep’s wool in its drape and elasticity. Alpaca has low elasticity and an elegant drape, making it a great choice for lace pieces. Alpaca yarns also tend to bloom, or fluff up with a very slight halo, after being blocked, which can enhance the look of lace stitches.

Fiber: Cashmere

Ideal Season: Winter

Care: Hand wash cold and lay flat to dry

Favorite Yarns: Capra DK, Capretta

When imagining luxury fibers, cashmere often comes to mind! This fiber comes from the soft undercoat of the cashmere goat, and the small, fine fibers are naturally incredibly soft. Because the fibers are so fine, cashmere yarn is delicate and can develop pills—balls of fluff on the surface of a knit—if not carefully cared for, but the luxury of cashmere makes it worth the special attention it requires! Use cashmere for accessories that will be treated gently, like scarves or hats, or plan to use a sweater shaver, which will help to remove pilling. Alternatively, try a cashmere blend! Blending cashmere with other fibers like nylon and wool adds strength without sacrificing softness or the look of cashmere. Both cashmere and cashmere blends bloom after washing, creating a light halo and a supremely soft, warm fabric.

Fiber: Mohair

Ideal Season: Fall, Winter, Spring

Care: Hand wash cold and lay flat to dry

Favorite Yarns: Aloft

Long, crinkly fibers give mohair its unique look! This fiber comes from the Angora Goat—not to be confused with the Angora Rabbit that gives us angora yarn—which has a crimped, curly coat. Mohair is typically spun in such a way that the long, wavy fibers are loose enough to create a beautiful halo. The fluffiest mohair yarns are often knit at a loose gauge to create an airy, sheer fabric with a fuzzy halo, but the same yarns can also be held double with a more solid yarn, like a Merino yarn, to add a halo to a solid fabric. Because most mohair yarns are extremely fluffy, it can sometimes stick to itself while knitting, making ripping back knitting or untangling a section of yarn challenging, but freezing mohair helps the fibers relax so they can be separated more easily. Finished knits made with mohair can be brushed to enhance the fuzzy look even more.

Fiber: Silk

Ideal Season: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

Care: Hand wash cold and lay flat to dry

Favorite Yarns: Luminance, Gloss

Known for its stunning sheen, high tensile strength, and warmth, silk is a beautiful fiber on its own or when combined with other fibers for luxury blends. Harvested from silk cocoons, the strands are then spun into silk thread and yarn. Despite having such a delicate feel and appearance, silk fibers are long, incredibly strong, and produce quite a bit of warmth when worn. They have a beautiful finish and shine to them that stands out even when blended with other fibers, like wool. Although silk is incredibly strong when dry, wet silk fibers are delicate and can break or lose their luster, which is why it's recommended to wash silk by hand and lay it flat to dry.

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