Ilaphu elinithiweyo yimathiriyeli eyenziwe ngemisonto ephothiweyo. Inokuveliswa ngoomatshini okanye ngobuchule bokuluka ngesandla yaye idla ngokusetyenziselwa ukwenza impahla. Iilaphu ezinithiweyo zineempawu ezikhethekileyo ezahlukileyo kwiilaphu ezilukiweyo, ezenziwe kusetyenziswa iilomu kunenaliti.

Inkqubo yokunitha i-greige ibandakanya ukusebenzisa oomatshini abaninzi abakhethekileyo ukwenza ukuthungwa okufunwayo kunye nepateni kwilaphu. Okokuqala, umsonto omkhulu ufakwa kwisixhobo sombane esibizwa ngokuba yi-warper, esilungisa imisonto ukuba iluke ibe yimisonto emibini ebizwa ngokuba yi-"warp ends." Ezi ziphelo ze-warp ziye zondliwa kwiipilisi zetsimbi kwi-loom, apho zenza iwebhu edibeneyo ebizwa ngokuthi "ukuzalisa" okanye "umhlaba odibeneyo," owenza isiseko somgangatho welaphu elinithiweyo. Emva kokuba olu maleko lugqityiwe, iileya ezongezelelweyo ezibandakanya imibala eyahlukeneyo zingongezwa de uyilo olunqwenelekayo lufezekisiwe. Ekugqibeleni, la maleko adityaniswa kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo ngobude bawo ngemithungo ebizwa ngokuba yiselvedges, aze anqunyulwe omnye komnye ukuze kuveliswe imveliso egqityiweyo, elungele ukusetyenzwa ngakumbi, njengokudaya okanye ukuprintwa ukuba kuyimfuneko.

Umahluko phakathi kwamalaphu alukiweyo naphothiweyo ikakhulu kwindlela akhiwe ngayo. Amalaphu alukiweyo abandakanya amaqela emisonto eme nkqo adityanisiweyo, ngelixa amalaphu ezinithiweyo aqulathe iilophu ezizidibanisa ngokuthe nkqo ukuya kwelinye icala (ezibizwa ngokuba "yizititshi zestocking"). Oku kuthetha ukuba ngokuqhelekileyo kukho iinkcukacha ezincinci xa kuthelekiswa neepateni ezilukiweyo, njengoko kungekho mfuneko yokulukwa okuntsonkothileyo njengakwi-tapestry okanye kwi-quilt - endaweni yoko, izititshi ziyadlulana nje, zenza iibhloko eziqinileyo ngakumbi, kunokuba zibe nokuthungwa kwe ipateni yemveli. I-textile ephothiweyo enepateni eyinkimbinkimbi yeenkcukacha ezininzi ezincinci.