knitted fabric technology, page 2

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KNIT FABRIC

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introduction

weft-knitting

stitch-structures

fabric-structures

glossary

WEFT KNITTING

The significant difference between woven and knitted fabric is

Woven fabric has two sets of yarn at right angles to each other
One yarn lies vertically, (the warp) and one yarn lies horizontaly (the weft)
The weft yarn is interlocked with the warp by passing under then over, one or more warp threads

Knitted fabric has one set of yarn which is worked either horizontally
or vertically, not both
There are two recognised knitting structures
warp knitting, sometimes known as rachelle knitting
And weft knitting

Warp knitting has one set of yarn for each wale, each yarn only travels vertically
The knitting is produced using a specialist warp knit machine
Warp-knitted end products include, net and lace curtain fabrics, and fabrics that imitate crochet

Weft knitting has one set of yarn which only travels horizontally across the fabric
Weft knitted fabrics can be produced using a variety of powered,
electronic, industrial or, domestic knitting machines
The fabric can also be made by hand using two knitting needles
Weft knitted fabric can be shaped during manufacture
It can also be produced as 'piece goods' (lengths of fabric) which are then cut and sewn like woven fabric

hand knitting is a weft-knit structure

In order to aid communication within the knitting industry
The International Standards Organization has defined a standard set of knitting terms

these terms form a vocabulary for professional knitters, but are not much used by hand knitters,
most of us much prefer to use the words passed on to us by our Grandmothers.

For the sake of clarity and interest, the knitted structures that follow
will be described using the Standard terminology with explanations as appropriate

knitted fabric is made up of courses and wales

Wales run vertically up and down the fabric.
Courses or rows run horizontally across the fabric.

a single wale

a single course

The single most important element of knit fabric is the stitch loop.

The length of the stitch loop regulates the stitch-density of the fabric
ie: the number of stitch loops in a given measurement
(what hand knitters would refer to as tension or gauge).
Stitch-density regulates both the size and the handle of the finished fabric

The shape of the stitch loop provides knit fabric with it's most important charactoristic

extensibility.
Knit fabric is extensible in both course-wise and wale-wise direction. If pulled the fabric will extend,
when released it will recover and relax.
The extension in a course-wise direction is greater than that in a wale-wise direction.

The loop pulled horizontally extends by it's whole length
The loop pulled vertically only extends by half it's length

Please notice that extensibility is not the same as stretch.
When a textile fabric stretches, it does not recover fully, and remains distressed.
In knit fabric the degree of stretch recovery would depend on the nature of the raw material,
not the fabric construction.

Click on 'next page' for stitch structures

weft-knitting