All about knitted wool fabrics

Knitted synthetic fleece bears little relation to the natural fleece made from wool. Also known as polyester fleece, this fleece is a man-made fabric made from polyester, an extruded polymer fiber.

This fleece fabric was originally developed to surpass the qualities of wool. The new fabric, which was not patented, quickly became widely used in a variety of designs around the world. Initially, this polyester fleece fabric was adopted by outdoor enthusiasts who liked the fabric as a lightweight, comfortable and flexible alternative to wool layers, especially because it was affordable. It quickly gained widespread popularity, moving from being seen as a technical fabric to a household necessity as designers and clothing manufacturers found new mainstream ways to exploit its properties.

This fabric is soft fleece, known for its soft, felt-like or fuzzy texture. While much lighter than wool, the fleece of polyester fleece fabric retains heat effectively and has a wool-like warmth and softness. This fleece tends to be less prone to pilling, meaning that the fabric is less likely to develop pilling or bulging over time.

The addition of cotton or other fibers and differences in manufacturing processes can produce a wide variety of fleece fabrics, making it easy for designers to find the ideal fleece fabric for their products. The qualities of this fabric along with its durable and water-resistant properties make it a versatile choice for producing a wide range of clothing and home furnishings.

Key Features of Wool Fabrics

Double-sided brushed fleece: This feature helps improve the warmth of the fabric. Double-sided brushed fleece provides space for air pockets between the yarns.

Won't fray: Wool fleece is ideal for blankets, scarves, and other products that don't require sewing.

Available in different thicknesses: This fleece fabric is graded based on thickness, from micro fleece fabrics to the thickest fleece fabrics 100-500gsm.

Waterproof: The polyester fibers of synthetic wool are naturally water-resistant. These wool fabrics typically hold less than one percent of their weight in moisture. We can also create a durable waterproof functional coating for outdoor products.

Breathable: While warm, moisture and air are able to pass through this fabric, especially thinner, softer wool fabrics.

Lightweight: Polyester fleece garments are much lighter than similar garments made with natural wool fibers.

Machine washable: Polyester fleece fibers are simple to care for, as the fabrics are easy to wash and do not show noticeable shrinkage, warping, or pilling. These fabrics do not absorb a lot of water and dry quickly.
Keeps its shape well: This property greatly increases the durability of garments made from polyester fleece.
Uses of fleece fabric
Clothing designers or craft enthusiasts may be best suited to describe the various products made from polyester fleece fabric. Due to its low maintenance and easy handling, fleece fabric is becoming increasingly popular and is widely used in home sewing projects.

This knitted fabric has a wide range of uses, including clothing such as jackets, sweaters, gloves, scarves, and baby clothes. It can also be used to make inexpensive blankets and clothing linings. It is also considered a good choice for various pet bedding. It is a preferred alternative to wool.

Steps in making fleece fabric
Polyester materials: The manufacture of fleece fabric begins with the manufacture of its constituent fibers, polyester. Originally known by the proprietary name PET, this polymer is produced by the reaction of acid with ethylene glycol, and the resulting polymer is extruded at high temperature through a special disk with holes in it, called a spinneret. The produced fiber is then made into filament.
Polyester can also be made from recycled plastic PET bottles, which are shredded and melted to form fibers, called recycled polyester filament. This material needs to be verified through GRS certification.
Knitting: The material is used to weave the grey fabric, and the machines include warp or weft circular machines, which can produce a variety of different types of fabric structures.
Dyeing: Dyed to any color using environmentally friendly dyes.
Napping/brushing: The knitted fabric passes through a brushing machine. This specialized machine uses multiple napping rollers to raise the fibers in the fabric. In addition, the fabric can be additionally brushed to increase warmth or add fluff.
Shearing: Another specialized machine shears off the raised fibers, forming the fluffy fleece we are familiar with.
Heat finishing: The fabric structure and weight are fixed by high temperatures. Fleece fabrics can be specially finished; coating (waterproof, light-blocking, flame-retardant), bonding, printing, etc.
Inspection and packaging: Professional knitted fabric manufacturers will complete this most important step before shipping.
Other types of knitted fleece
In addition to the original polyester polar fleece fabric, there is a range of specific polar fleece fabrics, each with its own characteristics and uses.

Cotton or blended wool
Cotton is used instead of polyester fiber, or mixed with polyester fiber to make blended wool. It can be made from two or three yarns and is brushed to create a characteristic deep wool pile. This fabric is easy to dye, particularly comfortable and luxurious, and is often referred to as sweatshirt or hoodie fleece for its main use.

Lycra Spandex Fleece
This fleece is an extremely versatile fabric that offers excellent comfort and movement due to its warmth and four-way stretch. Ideal for sportswear, this stretch fleece is usually made from polyester with a certain percentage of spandex. Many styles of fleece have a knitted jersey on the outside and a brushed fleece on the inside.

Micro Fleece
This polyester fleece is a lightweight fabric that offers excellent warmth and a fairly soft feel. Due to its light and breathable properties, it is often used as a thermal lining with other fabrics. It is the thinnest fleece on the market, making it very flexible in weight.

Blizzard Fleece
This is a particularly thick polar fleece that is very popular in winter gear and blankets. Its thick pile provides warmth and is so dense that you may not need to trim the ends after cutting.

French Terry
This is a knitted fabric with a smooth, soft outer knit and a lightweight fleece inner layer. It is similar to the sweatshirt fabric described above, but thinner in thickness. It can also be made from 3 different yarns to create the unique textured look of wool. It is available in a variety of weights and colors.

Sherpa Wool
This wool is usually made from polyester or acrylic or a blend of both fibers. It mimics the fleece of sheep and has a thick nap. Sherpa fleece fabric is thick and very warm. The outer layer is a unique sherpa fleece while the inner layer is a uniform, smooth knit. Weights can range up to 500gsm.

Cuddle / Minky / Flannel Wool Fabric
A niche wool fabric used for stuffed toys and similar items. Also known as plush fabric, it is exceptionally soft. The fabric is brushed on one or both sides of the fleece layer for a luxurious, comfortable surface.

Innovations in Wool Fabrics
The use of recycled plastics to make wool garments is on the rise. Incorporating biodegradable fibers into wool blends is also possible. Bamboo and cotton fleece are particularly popular, and cotton and wool blends are being developed to create natural alternatives to traditional polar fleece.

Contact Us to Source Fleece for Your Project
The choice of fabric is vital to the success of your design. When working with wool, you have a wide range of options, which means finding the right solution for your project has never been easier.

If you are looking for a wool fabric manufacturer with the expertise and quality products, we can provide you with fully customized fabrics that can be used as part of your design. We produce a wide range of wool fabrics in different weights and designs.

We can provide you with minimum and maximum quantities for your selected wool. Our lead times are prompt, which means you can work with us to create your ideal production schedule. Prices are competitive, quality is not compromised, and repeat orders are welcome.

Ask us for all the information you need about your fleece, including print patterns, fabric care, correct thread ends, and home or commercial sewing techniques to make your chosen fleece perform at its best.