Waffle fabric, also known as honeycomb fabric, has raised threads that form small rectangles. It can be made by either

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...

or knitting. Waffle weave is a further exploitation of

plain weave Plain weave (also called tabby weave, linen weave or taffeta weave) is the most basic of three fundamental types of textile weaves (along with satin weave and twill). It is strong and hard-wearing, and is used for fashion and furnishing fabric ...

and

twill Twill is a type of textile weave with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs. It is one of three fundamental types of textile weaves along with plain weave and satin. It is made by passing the weft thread over one or more warp threads then u ...

weave which produces a

three-dimensional Three-dimensional space (also: 3D space, 3-space or, rarely, tri-dimensional space) is a geometric setting in which three values (called ''parameters'') are required to determine the position of an element (i.e., point). This is the informa ...

effect. The combination of warp and weft floats creates the structure. It is woven partly on tabby areas surrounded by ridges of long floats. The weave consists of warp and weft floats arranged around a plain weave center. The warp and weft threads are interlaced and floating in a way that creates small square ridges and hollows in the fabric in a regular pattern. The surface of the fabric has a texture that looks like a

waffle A waffle is a dish made from leavened batter or dough that is cooked between two plates that are patterned to give a characteristic size, shape, and surface impression. There are many variations based on the type of waffle iron and recipe use ...

, hence the name. Knitted Waffle fabric

Waffle fabric can also be made on a double jersey knitting machine by selecting the needle position for knitting and tucking the loops for the formation of the structure similar to floating warps and weft in weaving. The knitted waffle can be produced in two variants: big waffle and blue waffle; it is also known as thermal fabric.

Characteristics

The "face" is a weaver's term that refers to whether the warp or weft dominates the fabric. The three-dimensional face/texture of waffle make it more absorbent and a useful fabric. Waffle fabric is usually made of

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...

microfibre Microfiber (or microfibre) is synthetic fiber finer than one denier or decitex/thread, having a diameter of less than ten micrometers. A strand of silk is about one denier and about a fifth of the diameter of a human hair. The most common t ...

and is woven in a way that makes it very absorbent. The waffle weave also allows air to flow through the fabric so that it dries quickly. Waffle fabrics are made in a range of weights.

Uses

Waffle fabric is used in apparel, bathrobes, dish towels, and wipes for cleaning surfaces. The texture makes it more absorbent.

Citations

Woven fabrics Knitted fabrics {{textile-stub