A long-sleeved knitted top, and a soft, fine knitted fabric.
1. Jerseys are plain, hardworking jumpers knitted in stocking stitch with ribbed hems. This absolutely classic design is a simpler version of the Guernsey sweater, one that remains de rigueur for yachtsmen and women across the globe. Both were knitted in wool for a seafaring island, as the lanolin on wool and it’s density and thickness kept penetrating winds out, in a shape and form that facilitated working and moving. Whilst the Guernsey tradition is more rigid and has kept a traditional design, Jersey has become a generic term that covers any type of warm, knitted, sweater, jumper or pullover in wool, cotton or synthetic fibres.
2. Jersey fabrics are so-called because the face texture resembles the traditional Jersey sweater knitted with plain stocking stitch, i.e. a smooth face surface texture with the visible V shape of the stitch, and a rougher back showing all of the loops.
Jersey velour is knitted with a smooth knit back and a short, velvety pile on the face side.
Jersey fabrics are quite fun to use for furnishings, but controlling the stretch on straight seams can be tricky. You’ll need to work a needle that won’t catch–with a tiny plastic ball covering the sharp end, so that it slips between the threads with no risk of cutting them.
See techniques: working with stretch fabrics.