ASSIGNMENT NO.

1
KNITTING

Submitted by
ABISHNA.K
151CD025
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Characteristics of Knitting Goods

knitted fabrics or finished articles made from such fabrics,
composed of a series of interloopings of one or more yarn
s andproduced on a knitting machine. In contrast to other t
extiles, knit goods have the ability to stretch in all directio
ns becausethe loops are able to change their shape and siz
e. The loose, looped structure gives knit goods softness an
d wrinkleresistance. Knitted fabrics are used in the manuf
acture of clothing, artificial fur, lace, fishing nets, and ind
ustrial and medicalproducts.
Knit goods are classified according to fiber composition, s
tructure, finish, and purpose. Knitwear is manufactured pr
imarilyfrom cotton and wool yarns and artificial and synth
etic fibers, including textured yarns. Synthetic raw materi
als are morewidely used for knit goods than for woven fab
rics because knitted fabrics have an open structure and are
permeable to airand moisture. Knit goods may be manufa
ctured from fibers of a single type, from blended yarns ob
tained from a mixture ofdifferent fibers, or from several di
fferent yarns. Knitted fabrics composed of a mixture of co

tton and a small quantity of woolwastes are often called vi

cuna.
Depending on their structure, knitted fabrics are classified
as weft-knit or warp-knit and as single-knit or doubleknit. Double-knit fabrics are denser and heavier than singl
e knits, and they do not roll up at the edges; they are prim
arily used forouterwear, less often for underwear. Dependi
ng on the finishing method used, knitted fabrics are classif
ied as raw(unfinished), bleached, solid-dyed, or variegate
d. The dyeing and finishing equipment used is specially a
dapted forprocessing knitted fabrics. Knit goods may have
a smooth surface, or they may have a fleecy layer, or nap,
which is formedby combing the yarns on the surface of th
e fabric with fillet wire or teasels fastened to the shafts of
napping machines.
Knitted fabrics may be used for underwear, outerwear, ho
siery, gloves, or kerchiefs. Knitted articles of underwear a
ndouterwear are usually sewn from pieces of knitted fabri
c; other types of garments are usually finished on the mac
hine.Knitted underwear possesses high hygroscopicity, so
ftness, elasticity, and permeability to air and moisture. It i
s usuallymanufactured from cloth made with a cottonpolyester (cotton-Lavsan) yarn; also used are plated fabric
s, in which the faceis made from silk yarn and the back fr
om cotton. Knitted fabrics for outerwear are usually thick
er than those used forunderwear; they hold their shape we
ll and provide excellent warmth.
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The structure of knit goods depends on the interlinking of

the loops and on the loops dimensions and shapesthe l
ength ofthe yarn in the loop, the ratio of the length of the
yarn to the thickness, and the height of the loop row. Othe
r factors includethe density of the yarn (the weight in gra
ms of 1 km of yarn), the thickness and number of layers o
f yarn, and the surfacestructure (whether smooth or nappe
d). The quality rating of knit goods is determined by the w
eight per unit surface area, thenumber of loops per unit le
ngth along the loop column and along the loop row, and v
arious other mechanical and physicalproperties.
The ratio of weight to surface area determines the amount
of raw material needed to produce fabric of a given area a
nd,indirectly, the thickness of the knitted fabric; for outer
wear it is 300600 g/m2, and for underwear 115240 g/m2.
Several characteristics are measured in order to evaluate t
he mechanical properties of knit goods, including the fabr
icsextensibility, elasticity, resilience, tensile strength, abil
ity to withstand repeated washing, and resistance to abrasi
on,unraveling, and edge curling. The extensibility of knit
wear depends on the type of interlooping and the structure
of the loops;the greatest dimensional increases are found i
n weft-knit articles (for example, up to 400 percent for ho
siery), and the leastin warp-knit fabrics. In all instances, tr
ansverse stretch is greater than longitudinal stretch. Lowstretch knitted fabrics do notrequire special processing for
the manufacture of clothing; individual parts are sewn tog
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ether on chain-stitch sewingmachines to form the finished

article. A reduction in the extensibility of knitted fabrics u
sed for outerwear is achieved bymeans of combination int
erlooping, in which weft yarns are sometimes used. The y
arns may be laid along the loop rows oralong the columns
. This technique reduces extensibility to 510 percent.
A knitted fabrics elasticityits ability instantaneously to
recover its original shape after the load applied is remove
dandits resilienceits ability gradually to resume its sh
ape after the load is removedprimarily depend on the ty
pe of rawmaterial and the method of interlooping used. Th
e greatest elasticity is found in knitwear manufactured fro
m textured yarnsof wool and elastic yarns. High elasticity
and resilience help the garment retain its shape when wor
n, and they significantlyincrease the resistance to abrasion
and the ability to withstand repeated stretching.
The tensile strength of knit goods is usually 5070 percen
t of the total strength of the yarns in a given cross section
ofcloth. The resistance to abrasion depends on the fiber su
rface, the twist of the yarns, and the type of interlooping a
ndfinishing. Knit goods made from synthetic yarns posses
s the greatest resistance to abrasion; wool knits and knits
with anapped surface have the least resistance. Destructio
n of the yarn in the loops as a result of abrasion or other d
amagecauses the loop to unravel. The amount of unraveli
ng depends on the type of interlooping and the smoothnes
s of the yarn.Warp knits in which two yarns make up each
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loop exhibit almost no unraveling. Weft knits usually unra

vel easily; however,open-work, press, and intertwine knits
are exceptions.
Edge curling is characteristic of all knitted fabrics produc
ed on machines with a single needle cylinder. It is caused
by thetendency of yarn to straighten out after it has been b
ent into a loop. The amount of curling depends on the elas
ticity anddensity of the yarn, the external conditions, and t
he type of finishing. This tendency makes garmentmaking difficult; it canbe eliminated for the time being by
moisture and heat treatment in calenders or presses. Knitt
ed garments may sometimeswear out prematurely because
of their inability to retain their size and shape after repeate
d wearing and washing; suchinstability is inherent in loop
structures formed from yarn with a high ratio of length to
thickness. An articles extensibility isan indication of its a
bility to retain its shape. Knits with loops that have little
movement or that are positioned close togetherand those t
hat have been chemically stabilized in a stretched state are
characterized by great size stability.
The hygienic properties of knit goods are usually determi
ned by the goods physical properties, including the abilit
y toabsorb moisture from the environment (hygroscopicit
y), the permeability to air, water, and vapor, and the abilit
y to hold anelectric charge. Hygroscopicity depends on th
e type of fiber used: cotton knitwear possesses the best pr
operties; articlesmade from synthetic fibers absorb almost
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no moisture. As a result of its loose loop structure, knitwe

ar is significantly morepermeable to air, water, and vapor t
han are woven textiles. Different degrees of permeability
can be achieved from differentdegrees of tightness in the
knit or by the use of yarns that differ in fleeciness.
The ability of an article of knitwear to accumulate charges
of static electricity up to amounts that can be felt by a pers
ondepends on the articles fiber composition. Hydrophobi
c fibers (the majority of synthetic fibers are in this categor
y) willaccumulate high static charges; this tendency is red
uced if the knitwear is treated with chemicals called antist
atics. Amixed knit in which the share of hydrophilic fiber
is high will not hold an electric charge.

What Are the Advantages of Knit Fabrics?

DAJ/amana images/Getty Images

From softness to elasticity, knit fabrics offer many
advantages. Fashionistas love knits for their comfort and
visual appeal. While knits are a challenge for beginning
sewers, these fabrics also allow for the creation of many
different styles of clothing. Knitwear brings a high-degree
of flexibility to the wardrobe.
Moisture Absorbing

Some knits have excellent moisture-wicking ability,

especially those made from plant-based materials. For
instance, cotton is able to absorb up to 27 times its own
weight in water. Knit fabrics are looped together from a
single or double yarn creating small openings in the
finished fabric. These openings serve as pockets for
holding air or minuscule amounts of water. This unique
feature also makes knits warmer that other fabrics, even
when the fabric is soaking wet.
Plenty of Stretch

Sewing with knits is a challenging process primarily

because they have plenty of stretch and its edges may curl
up as you work. While sewers have problems sewing
knits, this feature also makes it possible to create formfitting garments that do not require buttons, zippers or
hooks. Knit materials give in all four directions, which is

useful for creating comfortable t-shirts, undergarments

and other one-piece garments.
Easy Care

Depending on the material used in the fabric and the

size of the knitting, knit fabrics represent easy care. The
care tag indicates if the fabric is machine washable, but
this is true of most cottons, polyesters and other ready-towear garments. Use the gentle cycle and a mild soap
when washing. Wool knits do take more care, requiring
hand washing in warm water with liquid soap and are laid
out flat to air dry to avoid stretching the garment's shape.
Comfortable to Wear

Most people choose to wear knits for their softness,

warmth and stretch. Whether a handmade cable-knit
sweater or machine-knit cotton t-shirt, these garments are
very comfortable. The softness does depend on the fabric
or material yarns used. While cotton fabric is soft, some
turn to Merino wool for an extra level of soft-to-the-touch
extravagance. Properly cared for knits retain their shape
and elasticity and do not wrinkle easily, which increases
their aesthetic appeal.

DISADVANTAGES
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1.Disadvantage - it's an expensive hobby these

days. People used to do it because they couldn't
afford shop bought stuff
2.Ornamentations and additions
Various point-like ornaments may be added to knitting for
their look or to improve the wear of the fabric. Examples
include various types of bobbles, sequins and beads. Long
loops can also be drawn out and secured, forming a
"shaggy" texture to the fabric; this is known as loop
knitting. Additional patterns can be made on the surface
of the knitted fabric using embroidery; if the embroidery
resembles knitting, it is often called Swiss darning.

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