Insulating fabric and method for making the same

A sliver-knit insulating fabric comprising:

• a knitted base material;
• a plurality of tufts of fibers secured within the knitted base material, the tufts of fibers defining a plurality of end portions extending from the knitted base material, a first portion of the end portions extending from a first side of the knitted base material to form a first pile portion and a second portion of the end portions extending from a second side of the knitted base material to form a second pile portion;
• the knitted base material and plurality of tufts of fibers having a combined weight per unit area of less than 200 g/m2;
• the knitted base material has a plurality of wales adjacent each other and successive courses each of which is knit after a preceding course, each wale comprising a plurality of loops, wherein each loop in any particular wale is knitted through a loop in the preceding course in said particular wale;
• each of said tufts of fibers forms a loop portion, said loop portion of each tuft of fibers being located between the end portions of said tufts of fibers;
• each loop of knitted base material having a corresponding one of the tufts of fibers of the plurality of tufts of fibers being secured within the knitted base material at said loop;
• and
• wherein the corresponding one of the tufts of fibers at one loop in the knitted base material does not extend through the loop portion of a corresponding one of the tufts of fibers at another loop in the knitted base material.