Sew and Knit
2025-03-15
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1This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Rohullah in Afghanistan about using the words "sew" and "knit" and related terms.
2Dear VOA Learning English,
3I am sending this email to know what the differences are between "sewing and knitting" or "sew and knit."
4Besides [that], I wanted to know what I can call a woman or a man that makes clothes.
5Thank you
6I'm happy to answer this question, Rohullah.
7An important difference between sewing and knitting is that when we sew, we connect pieces of fabric or cloth that are already made.
8When we knit, we make the cloth itself from strings called yarn.
9Also, the word "sewing" can describe many ways people connect or repair fabric and clothes.
10For example, people can sew many kinds of clothes, such as socks, shirts, dresses, hats, and gloves.
11People can also sew larger things, such as window coverings or tents.
12A person can sew using a sewing machine or simply by using their hands with a needle and thread.
13Knitting does not generally require use of a machine or a needle and thread.
14To knit, a person uses thicker strings called yarn, along with two thin sticks called knitting needles.
15Yarn is usually made of small, natural pieces, called fibers, such as wool or cotton.
16While sewing thread is often less than one millimeter thick, knitting yarn is generally two to five millimeters thick.
17Many people who knit make clothing for cold weather, such as wool sweaters, hats, and scarves.
18They may also knit blankets or other things that can be used in the home.
19More than 50 years ago, most Americans who earned money sewing clothes in a factory were women. They were called "seamstresses."
20Today, we sometimes call any person who sews a "sewist."
21Or we can simply say "a person who sews."
22And a person whose job is to sew or repair clothes to make them fit well is called a tailor.
23For our readers and listeners, what are your questions about American English?
24Do you like to knit or sew?
25We want to hear from you! Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.
26And please let us know where you are from, too.
27And that's Ask a Teacher.
28I'm Andrew Smith.
1This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Rohullah in Afghanistan about using the words "sew" and "knit" and related terms. 2Dear VOA Learning English, 3I am sending this email to know what the differences are between "sewing and knitting" or "sew and knit." Besides [that], I wanted to know what I can call a woman or a man that makes clothes. 4Thank you 5I'm happy to answer this question, Rohullah. 6An important difference between sewing and knitting is that when we sew, we connect pieces of fabric or cloth that are already made. When we knit, we make the cloth itself from strings called yarn. 7Also, the word "sewing" can describe many ways people connect or repair fabric and clothes. For example, people can sew many kinds of clothes, such as socks, shirts, dresses, hats, and gloves. People can also sew larger things, such as window coverings or tents. 8A person can sew using a sewing machine or simply by using their hands with a needle and thread. Knitting does not generally require use of a machine or a needle and thread. To knit, a person uses thicker strings called yarn, along with two thin sticks called knitting needles. Yarn is usually made of small, natural pieces, called fibers, such as wool or cotton. 9While sewing thread is often less than one millimeter thick, knitting yarn is generally two to five millimeters thick. 10Many people who knit make clothing for cold weather, such as wool sweaters, hats, and scarves. They may also knit blankets or other things that can be used in the home. 11More than 50 years ago, most Americans who earned money sewing clothes in a factory were women. They were called "seamstresses." 12Today, we sometimes call any person who sews a "sewist." Or we can simply say "a person who sews." And a person whose job is to sew or repair clothes to make them fit well is called a tailor. 13For our readers and listeners, what are your questions about American English? Do you like to knit or sew? We want to hear from you! Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. And please let us know where you are from, too. 14And that's Ask a Teacher. 15I'm Andrew Smith. 16Andrew Smith wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 17______________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19fabric - n. cloth or other material made from cotton, wool, silk, nylon or other threads 20tent - n. a shelter made of nylon or strong, heavy cloth held up by poles, typically used for camping 21needle - n. a small, very thin piece of metal with a sharp point at one end and a hole at the other for a thread to go through 22thread - n. a long, thin piece of material such as cotton, nylon or silk used for sewing 23blanket - n. a large square or rectangular piece of cloth, typically put on bed to keep you warm