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Knitting

Woven vs knitted fabric

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Comparison
Woven
• Interlacing process
• In the woven fabric the
yarns are essentially straight
and any significant fabric
extension causes the yarns
themselves to extend. So it
is having less extension.
• Less permeable to air
• Flat and stiff
• Less Insulation
Knitting
Weft
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Knitted
• Interlooping process
• In a weft knitted fabrics the
yarns form continuous curves
and the structure allows for
yarn transfer between the
binding points. So it is having
more extension.
• More permeable to air
• Soft and bulky
• Higher insulation
Warp
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Weft Knitting
Weft knitting can be described as the sequential formation and interlinking of a
horizontal row of loops, formed from a single yarn supplied in sequence to each
needle, with the previously formed horizontal row of loops. The horizontal (widthwise)
rows of loops are known as courses and the vertical (axial) rows of loops are know as
wales.

Bearded needle
1 The stem, around which the needle loop
is formed.
2 The head, where the stem is turned into
a hook to draw the new loop through
the old loop.
3 The beard, which is the curved
downwards continuation of the hook that
is used
to separate the trapped new loop inside
from the old loop as it slides off the
needle beard.
4 The eye, or groove, cut in the stem to
receive the pointed tip of the beard when
it is pressed, thus enclosing the new loop.
5 The shank, which may be bent for
individual location in the machine or cast
with
others in a metal ‘lead’.

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Knitting action of bearded needle

1 The hook, which draws and retains the

Latch needle
new loop.
(not illustrated).
4 The rivet, which may be plain or
threaded.This has been dispensed with on
most plate metal needles, by pinching in
the slot walls to retain the latch blade.
5 The latch-blade, which locates the latch
in the needle.
6 The latch spoon, which is an extension
of the blade, and bridges the gap
between
the hook and the stem covering the hook
when closed, as shown in broken lines.
7 The stem, which carries the loop in the
clearing or rest position.
8 The butt, which enables the needle to
be reciprocated when contacted by cam
Profiles
9 The tail, which is an extension below
the butt, giving additional support to the
needle and keeping the needle in its trick.

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Knitting action of latch needle

Sinker
• Loop formation
• Holding-down
• Knocking-over

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Needle loop and sinker loop

Warp Knitting
Warp knitting is the sequential formation and interlinking of loops in an axial
direction on a lateral array of needles with at least one separate thread being
supplied to each needle. The loops are joined together in a widthwise
direction by moving the threads back and forth between adjacent needles.

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Basic weft knitted structures

Depending on the geometrical arrangement of the face and reverse
stitches in a knitted fabric, i.e. heads, legs and feet of stitches, the
following four basic knitted structures are defined:
plain knitted fabrics
rib knitted fabrics
purl knitted fabrics
interlock knitted fabrics

Plain knit structure

It is also frequently referred to as a single jersey fabric

(single fabric).

If a weft knitted fabric has one side consisting only of face
stitches, and the opposite side consisting of back stitches,
then it is described as a plain knitted fabric.

Plain knitted fabrics are produced by using one linear array

of needles. As such all the stitches are meshed in one
direction.

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Properties of plain knitted fabric

These fabrics tend to roll at their edges. They roll from
their technical back towards the technical front at the top
and lower edges.
They also roll from their technical front towards the
technical back at their selvedges (the self-finished left and
right-hand edges of the fabric).
The structure is extensible in both lateral and longitudinal
directions, but the lateral extension is approximately twice
that of the longitudinal extension.

Plain structure

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Graphical notation and needle diagram

Rib knitted structure

These fabrics are also known as double jersey or
double face fabrics.
A relaxed weft knitted fabric only face stitches are
visible, then it is referred to as a rib knitted fabric.
It is produced by meshing the stitches in adjacent
wales in opposite directions. This is achieved by knitting
with two needle systems which are placed opposite to
one another other.
When the fabric is stretched widthwise, both sides of
the fabric show alternately face and reverse stitches in
each course. Once the fabric is released, it shrinks in its
width, thus hiding the reverse stitches between the face
stitches.
These fabrics do not curl at their edges.

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Plain and rib structure

Plain RIB
•Twice thickness
•Twice widthwise elasticity
•Half width
•Heavier

2X2 Rib

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Purl knitted fabric

•If on both sides of a relaxed weft knitted fabric only
reverse stitches are visible, then this is defined as a purl
knitted fabric.
•Purl fabrics are produced by meshing the stitches in
adjacent courses in opposite directions either by using
special latch needles with two needle hooks or by
transferring the fabric from bed to bed between each
knitting action.
•When the fabric is stretched lengthwise, then the face
stitches are visible. The fabric shrinks more in the
direction of wales, and once it is released, it relaxes to
hide the face stitches between the courses.

Purl structure
•Twice thick than plain
•Same widthwise elasticity
•Double lentghwise elasticity

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Purl structures

Interlock
• Interlock knitted structures could be considered
as a combination of two rib knitted structures.
• The reverse stitches of one rib knitted structure
are covered by the face stitches of the second rib
knitted structure.
• On both sides of the fabric, therefore, only face
stitches are visible, and it is difficult to detect the
reverse stitches even when the fabric is stretched
widthwise.

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Interlock
•Technical face of plain on
both sides of fabric
•Balanced structure lies flat
without curling
•Heavier,thicker and
narrower than rib
•Production is less as two
feeder produce only one
course
•Better fine quality yarn
required
•Less danger of press off

Interlock strcuture

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Various stitches – Tuck stitch

Tuck stitch is produced when a
needle holding its loop (T) also
receives the new loop, which
becomes a tuck loop because it is
not intermeshed through the old
loop but is tucked in behind it on
the reverse side of the stitch

2. Float stitch

It is produced when a needle (M) holding its old loop fails

to receive the new yarn that passes, as a float loop, to the back of the
needle and to the reverse side of the resultant stitch, joining together the
two nearest needle loops knitted from it.

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Overlap and underlap of warp knitted

structure

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