Ilaphu elithungiweyo yinto eyenziwe ngeentambo ezidityanisiweyo zomsonto. Ingaveliswa ngeendlela zokuthunga ngomatshini okanye ngesandla kwaye idla ngokusetyenziswa ukwenza impahla. Amalaphu athungiweyo aneempawu ezikhethekileyo ezahlukileyo kumalaphu alukiweyo, enziwa kusetyenziswa iilokhwe endaweni yeenaliti.
Inkqubo yokuluka i-greige ibandakanya ukusebenzisa oomatshini abakhethekileyo abaninzi ukwenza ubume obufunekayo kunye nephethini kwilaphu. Okokuqala, umqulu omkhulu wentambo ufakwa kwisixhobo se-elektroniki esibizwa ngokuba yi-warpper, esilungiselela imisonto ukuba idityaniswe ibe yimicu emibini ebizwa ngokuba yi-"warp ends." Ezi siphelo ze-warp emva koko zifakwa kwi-metal healds kwi-loom, apho zenza khona i-interlocking web ebizwa ngokuba yi-"fill" okanye "knit ground," eyenza umaleko osisiseko welaphu elilukiweyo. Nje ukuba olu maleko lugqityiwe, iileya ezongezelelweyo ezinemibala eyahlukeneyo zingongezwa de kube kufezwe uyilo olufunwayo. Ekugqibeleni, iileya zidityaniswa kwiindawo ezahlukeneyo ngobude bazo ngezititshi ezibizwa ngokuba yi-selvedges, kwaye emva koko zisikwe zibe zezinye ukuze kuveliswe imveliso egqityiweyo, elungele ukucutshungulwa ngakumbi, njengokudaya okanye ukuprinta ukuba kuyimfuneko.
Umahluko phakathi kwelaphu elilukiweyo nelilukiweyo ikakhulu ukwindlela ezakhiwe ngayo. Ilaphu elilukiweyo liquka amaqela emisonto ethe nkqo edibeneyo, ngelixa ilaphu elilukiweyo liqulathe imijikelo eyahlukeneyo edibana ngokuthe nkqo ukuya kwelinye icala (elibizwa ngokuba yi "stocking stitches"). Oku kuthetha ukuba kudla ngokuba neenkcukacha ezimbalwa xa kuthelekiswa neepateni ezilukiweyo, njengoko kungekho mfuneko yokuthunga okuntsonkothileyo njengakwi-tapestry okanye i-quilt - endaweni yoko, izitishi zihlangana nje, zenze iibhloko eziqinileyo, endaweni yokuba nesitayile sepateni yendabuko. Ilaphu elilukiweyo elinepateni entsonkothileyo yeenkcukacha ezininzi ezincinci.
