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Circular weft insertion: rewriting the logic of textile structures
Thesis

Circular weft insertion: rewriting the logic of textile structures

Hashwin Panjwani
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Jun 2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011502
pdf
Panjwani_Hashwin_202678.05 MB
PDF Embargoed Access, Embargo ends: 30 Jun 2028

Abstract

Circular weft insertion Design research Loop geometry Recyclable textiles Single fibre construction Woven stretch
A major recyclability issue has arisen as a result of the current textile industry's preferred technique for achieving multifunctionality in woven textiles, which involves combining synthetic and natural fibers inside a single thread or structure. Blended textiles cannot be effectively processed by the existing mechanical recycling infrastructure, which causes post-consumer textile waste to build up in landfills at levels that are dangerous to the environment and public health. The use of Circular Weft Insertion (CWI) as a structural substitute for mixed-fiber construction in woven textiles is investigated in this work. CWI is a novel weaving technique in which the weft yarn is routed in a looped or circular path around individual warp ends, rather than passing linearly from selvage to selvage. Informed by the structural logic of weft knitting, in which mechanical stretch is generated by loop geometry rather than fiber elasticity, CWI proposes that equivalent structural behavior can be introduced into a woven fabric through deliberate variation of weft path geometry, using a single recyclable fiber. The Double Diamond model informs the research's ten-stage methodology, which includes initial industry discovery, problem definition, experimental swatch development on frame and shuttle looms, comparative performance analysis across plain weave, twill, and basket weave structures, tool development, including a 3D-printed insertion tool derived from the ancient Kani spool, and the creation of a new weave notation system for recording loop-based woven structures. Results show that stretch performance varies predictably across weave architectures, that circular weft insertion generates measurable horizontal stretch in woven structures without the addition of elastomeric yarn, and that CWI picks can be used selectively within a plain weave ground to engineer localized performance zones within a single mono-fiber cloth. The study offers 10 design research principles derived from the investigation process, as well as a novel structural method and notation system.

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