TYPES OF KNITTING

                                                                              KNITTING

Introduction:

Knitting is the second most frequently used method of fabric construction. the popularity of knitting has grown tremendously with in recent years because of the increased versatility of techniques, the adaptability of the many new manmade fibers, and the growth in consumer demand for wrinkle-resistant, stretchable snug-fitting fabrics, particularly in the greatly expending areas of sportswear and other casual wearing apparel. To day, the usage of knitted fabrics ranges from hosiery, underwear, sweaters, slacks, suits and coats, to rugs and other home furnishings.

Hand knitting was an early invention. The earliest know knitted fabric was a pair of thick, hand knitted wool socks found in a Egyptian tomb, which probably dated back to the fourth century B.C. but the art of knitting seems to have been perfected in western Europe in the fifth century.

In 1589,the reverend William lee, an English man, invented the first knitting machine, which knit & loops to 1 inch of width. the machine was seen by the strong guild of wool stocking hand knitters as a threat of their lively hood.

To day, knitting is a complex industry which has two main areas, each of which has it’s sub divisions of specializations. one area produces knitted goods for apparel manufacturers, for sewing centers for consumers, and for others. the other area produces completed apparel such as hosiery, sweaters and underwear.

KNITTED CONSTRUCTION

Knitted fabrics may be constructed with a single yarn that is formed into interlocking loops by the use of hooked needles. The loops may be either loosely or closely constructed, according to the purpose of the fabric. Crocheting is knitting in it’s simplest form. A chain of loops is produced from a single thread by means of hook. the interlocking loops of the knitted construction permit the fabric to stretch in any direction even if low grade yarn having little elasticity of the yarn that lacks natural elasticity is used.

CLASSIFICATION OF KNITTED FABRICS

Knitted fabrics are divided in to two general types:

1)   those produced by weft knitting, where one continuous yarn forms course across the fabric.

2)   Those produced by warp knitting, where a series of yarn forms Wales in the length wise direction of the fabric.

WEFT KNITTING

There are three fundamental stitches in weft knitting.

1)   Plain knit stitch

2)   Purl stitch

3)   Rib stitch

Novelty stitches are variations of these three stitches. The hand method of knitting is weft knitting. On a machine, the individual yarn is fed to one or more needles at a time.

WARP KNITTING

Warp knitting differs from weft knitting, basically, in that each needle loops it’s own thread. The needles produce parallel rows of loops. Simultaneously that are interlocked in a zigzag pattern.

Warp knitting may be flat or tubular and can be produced in many varieties of pattern it can yield cloth with a dimensional stability almost equal to that of woven fabric.

Consumers like Warp knits because of their smoothness, possible sheerness, wrinkle and shrink resistance. warp knit fabrics, as compared with weft knits also have certain other advantages. Warp knits will not ravel or run and are less susceptive to snagging.

Products ranging from hair nets to rugs may be produced by the warp knitting depending upon the machine and technique employed. The seven types of the warp knitting are tricot, Milanese, simplex, raschel, ketten raschel, crochet, and weft insertion warp.

MILANESE KNIT:

The Milanese stitch, though accomplished by a different technique produces a fabric very similar in appearance to tricot. It can be identified by the fine rib on the face end a diagonal pattern on the back.

Milanese fabrics are superior to tricot in smoothness, elasticity, regularity of structure, and split and tear resistance. despite the apparent advantages of Milanese fabrics, production is limited due to the costly low production rates of Milanese machines and their limitations in scope of patterns.

SIMPLEX KNIT:

Simplex fabrics are produced with spring-beard needles on a machine that is essentially to tricot machines arranged back to back. The fabrics are fine guage knits generally ranging from 28 to 34 and in widths of 84 to 112 inches. The stitches appear on both sides of the cloth which looks like a double faced tricot.

Simplex fabrics are made of fine yarn but are, nevertheless, relatively dense and thick. Sometimes the cloth is lightly napped to obtain a soft, suede like finish.      Simplex fabrics are a relatively small part of warp knit production. They are used for such purposes as gloves, hand bags, sportswear, and slip covers.

JACQUARD KNITTIN:

Both weft and warp knitting can incorporate the jacquard mechanism to produce multi colored designs. The jacquard punched-card technique used in weaving can also be adopted to knitting. Cards control the selection or inhibition of the needles to produce the pattern.

Another technique for controlling the individual needles to produces the various types of knits and designs utilizes electronic or electromagnetic devices third means is the use of a stripe of film encoded in a boxed fashion. The film is divided in to successive opaque and transparent squares that act similarly to the holes in the jacquard card or paper tape.

Jacquard knits are made on flat-dead and circular machines and the fabric may be flat or ribbed. The fabrics are multi colored ; each color requires consecutively it’s own respective feed on each course of the design, the back of the fabric can be varied, as with a novel effect, striped, pique, blister, or solid back.

PILE KNITTING

The production pile knits has steadily grown in variety, importance, and volume. They are constructed as fleece, high pile, terry, and velour knits. Depending upon the type of construction, they are used for fur fabrics, rugs, and fashion apparel fabrics.

FLEECE KNIT 

Technically, fleece fabrics are not truly of a pile construction. Fleece fabrics are knitted so that, when finished, they will have a short to medium nap that has a soft, pleasant hand, will provide warmth and body, as well as moisture wicking and absorption, if desired.