Knitted fabric

Knitted fabricis atextilethat results fromknitting,the process of inter-looping ofyarnsor inter-meshing of loops. Its properties are distinct fromwovenfabric in that it is more flexible and can be more readily constructed into smaller pieces, making it ideal for socks and hats.

Weft-knit and warp-knit fabric

There are two basic varieties of knit fabric:weft-knitandwarp-knitfabric.^[1]Warp-knitted fabrics such as tricot and milanese are resistant to runs, and are commonly used inlingerie.

Weft-knit fabrics are easier to make and more common. When cut, they will unravel (run) unless repaired.

Warp-knit fabrics are resistant to runs and relatively easy to sew. Raschel lace—the most common type of machine made lace—is a warp knit fabric but using many moreguide-bars (12+) than the usual machines which mostly have three or four bars. (14+)^{[clarification needed]}

Structure of knitted fabrics

Courses and wales

Structure of stockinette, a common weft-knit fabric. The meandering red path defines onecourse,the path of the yarn through the fabric. The uppermost white loops are unsecured and "active", but they secure the red loops suspended from them. In turn, the red loops secure the white loops just below them, which in turn secure the loops below them, and so on.

Alternating wales of red and white knit stitches. Each stitch in a wale is suspended from the one above it.

In weaving, threads are always straight, running parallel either lengthwise (warp threads) or crosswise (weft threads). By contrast, the yarn in knitted fabrics follows a meandering path (acourse), forming symmetric loops (also called bights) symmetrically above and below the mean path of the yarn. These meandering loops can be easily stretched in different directions giving knit fabrics much more elasticity than woven fabrics. Depending on the yarn and knitting pattern, knitted garments can stretch as much as 500%. For this reason, knitting is believed to have been developed for garments that must be elastic or stretch in response to the wearer's motions, such as socks and hosiery. For comparison, woven garments stretch mainly along one or other of a related pair of directions that lie roughly diagonally between the warp and the weft, while contracting in the other direction of the pair (stretching and contracting with thebias), and are not very elastic, unless they are woven from stretchable material such asspandex.Knitted garments are often more form-fitting than woven garments, since their elasticity allows them to contour to the body's outline more closely; by contrast, curvature is introduced into most woven garments only with sewn darts, flares, gussets and gores, the seams of which lower the elasticity of the woven fabric still further. Extra curvature can be introduced into knitted garments without seams, as in the heel of a sock; the effect of darts, flares, etc. can be obtained withshort rowsor byincreasingordecreasingthe number of stitches. Thread used in weaving is usually much finer than the yarn used in knitting, which can give the knitted fabric more bulk and less drape than a woven fabric.

If they are not secured, the loops of a knitted course will come undone when their yarn is pulled; this is known asripping out,unravellingknitting, or humorously,frogging(because you 'rip it', this sounds like a frog croaking: 'rib-bit').^[2]To secure a stitch, at least one new loop is passed through it. Although the new stitch is itself unsecured ( "active" or "live" ), it secures the stitch(es) suspended from it. A sequence of stitches in which each stitch is suspended from the next is called awale.^[3]To secure the initial stitches of a knitted fabric, a method forcasting onis used; to secure the final stitches in a wale, one uses a method ofbinding/casting off.During knitting, the active stitches are secured mechanically, either from individual hooks (in knitting machines) or from a knitting needle or frame in hand-knitting.

Basic pattern of warp knitting. Parallel yarns zigzag lengthwise along the fabric, each loop securing a loop of an adjacent strand from the previous row.

Knitting stitches and stitch patterns

Different stitches and stitch combinations affect the properties of knitted fabric. Individual stitches look differently; knit stitches look like "V" 's stacked vertically, whereas purl stitches look like a wavy horizontal line across the fabric. Patterns and pictures can be created using colors in knitted fabrics by using stitches as "pixels";however, such pixels are usually rectangular, rather than square. Individual stitches, or rows of stitches, may be made taller by drawing more yarn into the new loop (anelongated stitch), which is the basis foruneven knitting:a row of tall stitches may alternate with one or more rows of short stitches for an interesting visual effect. Short and tall stitches may also alternate within a row, forming a fish-like oval pattern.

Stitches also affect the physical properties of a fabric. Stockinette stitch forms a smoothnap.Aran knitting patternsare used to create a bulkier fabric to retain heat.

Two courses of red yarn illustrating two basic fabric types. The lower red course is knit into the white row below it and is itself knit on the next row; this producesstockinettestitch. The upper red course is purled into the row below and then is knit, consistent withgarterstitch.

A dropped stitch, or missed stitch, is a common error that creates an extra loop to be fixed.

In the simplest knitted fabric pattern, all the stitches are knit or purl; this is known as a garter stitch. Alternating rows of knit stitches and purl stitches produce what is known as a stockinette pattern/stocking stitch. Vertical stripes (ribbing) are possible by having alternating wales of knit and purl stitches. For example, a common choice is 2x2 ribbing, in which two wales of knit stitches are followed by two wales of purl stitches, etc. Horizontal striping (welting) is also possible, by alternatingrowsof knit and purl stitches. Checkerboard patterns (basketweave) are also possible, the smallest of which is known asseed/moss stitch:the stitches alternate between knit and purl in every wale and along every row.

Fabrics in which the number of knit and purl stitches are not the same, such as stockinette/stocking stitch, have a tendency to curl; by contrast, those in which knit and purl stitches are arranged symmetrically (such as ribbing, garter stitch or seed/moss stitch) tend to lie flat and drape well. Wales of purl stitches have a tendency to recede, whereas those of knit stitches tend to come forward. Thus, the purl wales in ribbing tend to be invisible, since the neighboring knit wales come forward. Conversely, rows of purl stitches tend to form an em Boss ed ridge relative to a row of knit stitches. This is the basis ofshadow knitting,in which the appearance of a knitted fabric changes when viewed from different directions.^[4]

The stitches on the right are right-plaited, whereas the stitches on the left are left-plaited.

Right- and left-plaited stitches

Both types of plaited stitches give a subtle but interesting visual texture, and tend to draw the fabric inwards, making it stiffer. Plaited stitches are a common method for knitting jewelry from fine metal wire.

Illustration ofentrelac.The blue and white wales are parallel to each other, but both are perpendicular to the black and gold wales, resemblingbasket weaving.

Edges and joins between fabrics

The initial and final edges of a knitted fabric are known as thecast-onandbound/cast-offedges. The side edges are known as theselvages;the word derives from "self-edges", meaning that the stitches do not need to be secured by anything else. Many types of selvages have been developed, with different elastic and ornamental properties.

Edges are introduced within a knitted fabric for button holes, pockets, or decoration, by binding/casting off and re-casting on again (horizontal) or by knitting the fabrics on either side of an edge separately.

Two knitted fabrics can be joined by embroidery-basedgraftingmethods, most commonly the Kitchener stitch. New wales can be begun from any of the edges of a knitted fabric; this is known aspicking up stitchesand is the basis forentrelac,in which the wales run perpendicular to one another in a checkerboard pattern.

Illustration ofcable knitting.The central braid is formed from 2x2ribbingin which the background is formed of purl stitches and the cables are each two wales of knit stitches. By changing the order in which the stitches are knit, the wales can be made to cross.

Cables, increases, and lace

When knit wales cross, a cable is formed. Cables patterns tend to draw the fabric together, making it denser and less elastic;^[5]Aran sweatersare a common form of knitted cabling.^[6]Arbitrarily complex braid patterns can be done incable knitting.

Inlace knitting,a pattern is formed by making small, stable holes in the fabric.

Lace knittingconsists of making patterns and pictures using holes in the knit fabric, rather than with the stitches themselves.^[7]The large and many holes in lacy knitting makes it extremely elastic; for example, some Shetland "wedding-ring" shawls are so fine that they may be drawn through a wedding ring.

By combining increases and decreases, it is possible to make the direction of a wale slant away from vertical, even in weft knitting. This is the basis forbias knitting,and can be used for visual effect, similar to the direction of a brush-stroke in oil painting.

Ornamentations and additions

Various point-like ornaments may be added to a knit fabric for their look or to improve the wear of the fabric. Examples include various types ofbobbles,sequins andbeads.Long loops can also be drawn out and secured, forming a "shaggy" texture to the fabric; this is known asloop knitting.Additional patterns can be made on the surface of the knitted fabric usingembroidery;if the embroidery resembles knitting, it is often called Swiss darning. Various closures for the garments, such as frogs and buttons can be added; usually buttonholes are knitted into the garment, rather than cut.

Ornamental pieces may also be knitted separately and then attached usingapplique.For example, differently colored leaves and petals of a flower could be knit separately and attached to form the final picture. Separately knitted tubes can be applied to a knitted fabric to form complexCeltic knotsand other patterns that would be difficult to knit.

Unknitted yarns may be worked into knitted fabrics for warmth, as is done intuftingand "weaving"(also known as" couching ").

Properties of fabrics

Schematic of stockinette stitch, the most basic weft-knit fabric

Thetopologyof a knitted fabric is relatively complex. Unlikewovenfabrics, where strands usually run straight horizontally and vertically, yarn that has been knitted follows a looped path along its row, as with the red strand in the diagram at left, in which the loops of one row have all been pulled through the loops of the row below it.

Because there is no single straight line of yarn anywhere in the pattern, a knitted piece of fabric can stretch in all directions. This elasticity is all but unavailable in woven fabrics which only stretch along thebias.Many modern stretchy garments, even as they rely on elastic synthetic materials for some stretch, also achieve at least some of their stretch through knitted patterns.

Close-up of front ofstockinette stitch

Close-up of back ofstockinette stitch,also same appearance asreverse stockinette stitch

The basic knitted fabric (as in the diagram, and usually called astockingorstockinettepattern) has a definite"right side" and "wrong side".On the right side, the visible portions of the loops are the verticals connecting two rows which are arranged in a grid ofVshapes. On the wrong side, the ends of the loops are visible, both the tops and bottoms, creating a much more bumpy texture sometimes calledreverse stockinette.(Despite being the "wrong side," reverse stockinette is frequently used as a pattern in its own right.) Because the yarn holding rows together is all on the front, and the yarn holding side-by-side stitches together is all on the back,stockinette fabrichas a strong tendency to curl toward the front on the top and bottom, and toward the back on the left and right side.

Stitches can be worked from either side, and various patterns are created by mi xing regular knit stitches with the "wrong side" stitches, known aspurl stitches,either in columns (ribbing), rows (garter,welting), or more complex patterns. Each fabric has different properties: agarter stitchhas much more vertical stretch, whileribbingstretches much more horizontally. Because of their front-backsymmetry,these two fabrics have little curl, making them popular as edging, even when their stretch properties are not desired.

Different combinations of knit and purl stitches, along with more advanced techniques, generate fabrics of considerably variable consistency, from gauzy to very dense, from highly stretchy to relatively stiff, from flat to tightly curled, and so on.

Close-up of knitting

Texture

The most common texture for a knitted garment is that generated by theflat stockinette stitch—as seen, though very small, in machine-made stockings andT-shirts—which is worked in the round as nothing but knit stitches, and worked flat as alternating rows of knit and purl. Other simple textures can be made with nothing but knit and purl stitches, includinggarter stitch,ribbing,andmoss and seed stitches.Adding a "slip stitch" (where a loop is passed from one needle to the other) allows for a wide range of textures, including heel and linen stitches as well as a number of more complicated patterns.

Close-up ofribbing

Some more advanced knitting techniques create a surprising variety of complex textures. Combining certainincreases,which can create small eyelet holes in the resulting fabric, with assorteddecreasesis key to creatingknitted lace,a very open fabric resemblinglace.Open vertical stripes can be created using thedrop-stitch knittingtechnique. Changing the order of stitches from one row to the next, usually with the help of a cable needle orstitch holder,is key tocable knitting,producing an endless variety of cables, honeycombs, ropes, andAran sweaterpatterning.Entrelacforms a rich checkerboard texture by knitting small squares,picking uptheir side edges, and knitting more squares to continue the piece.

Fair Isleknitting uses two or more colored yarns to create patterns and forms a thicker and less flexible fabric.

The appearance of a garment is also affected by theweightof the yarn, which describes the thickness of the spun fibre. The thicker the yarn, the more visible and apparent stitches will be; the thinner the yarn, the finer the texture.

Color

Plenty of finished knitting projects never use more than a single color of yarn, but there are many ways to work in multiple colors. Some yarns are dyed to be eithervariegated(changing color every few stitches in a random fashion) orself-striping(changing every few rows). More complicated techniques permit large fields of color (intarsia,for example), busy small-scale patterns of color (such asFair Isle), or both (double knittingandslip-stitch color,for example).

Composition of knitted fabrics

The most common fiber used for knitted fabrics is cotton.^{[citation needed]}This material used commonly in kitting, makes the activity very sustainable. Capable of producing eco-friendly goods, such as sweaters or scarfs. Viscose with or without elastane, these tend to be single jersey construction and are used for most t-shirt style tops.

Knitted dress, 1967

History of fashion knitwear

Coco Chanel's 1916 use of jersey in her hugely influential suits was a turning point for knitwear, which became associated with the woman.^[8]Shortly afterwards,Jean Patou'scubist-inspired,color-blockedknits were thesportswearof choice.^[8]

In the 1940s came the iconic wearing of body-skimming sweaters by sex symbols likeLana TurnerandJane Russell,though the 1950s were dominated by conservativepopcorn knits.^[8]The swinging 1960s were famously manifested inMissoni's colorful zigzag knitwear.^[8]This era also saw the rise both ofSonia Rykiel,dubbed the "Queen of Knitwear" for her vibrant striped sweaters and her clingy dresses, and ofKennedy-inspired preppy sweaters.^[8]

In the 1980s, knitwear emerged from the realm of sportswear to dominatehigh fashion;notable designs includedRomeo Gigli's "haute-bohemian cocoon coats" andRalph Lauren's floor-length cashmere turtlenecks.^[8]

Contemporary knitwear designers includeDiane von Fürstenberg.^[9]

References

^"Knitting Basics".Alamac American Knits LLC. 2004. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-02-27.Retrieved2006-12-27.
^"Techniques with Theresa, Frog pond edition".
^A wale, according toKnitting Technology: a Comprehensive Handbook and Practical Guide,is "a predominantly vertical column of needle loops generally produced by the same needles at successive (not necessarily all) knitting cycles. A wale starts as soon as an empty needle starts to knit" (Spencer 1989:17).
^Høxbro, Vivian (2004).Shadow Knitting.Loveland, CO: Interweave Press.ISBN 978-1-931499-41-5.
^Leapman, Melissa (2006).Cables Untangled: An Exploration of Cable Knitting.Potter Craft.ISBN 978-1-4000-9745-6.
^Hollingworth, Shelagh (1983).The Complete Book of Traditional Aran Knitting.St. Martin's Press.ISBN 978-0-312-15635-0.
^Sowerby, Jane (2006).Victorian Lace Today.XRX Books.ISBN 978-1-933064-07-9.
Swansen, Meg (2005).A Gathering of Lace(2nd ed.). Schoolhouse Press.ISBN 978-1-893762-24-4.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^fVargas, Whitney. "Knitting Circle."Elle(Sept 2007): p192.
^Bansal, Paritosh (2008-01-24)."Designer Von Furstenberg sues Target over dress".Reuters.

[1] "Knitting Basics".Alamac American Knits LLC. 2004. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-02-27.Retrieved2006-12-27.

[2] "Techniques with Theresa, Frog pond edition".

[3] A wale, according toKnitting Technology: a Comprehensive Handbook and Practical Guide,is "a predominantly vertical column of needle loops generally produced by the same needles at successive (not necessarily all) knitting cycles. A wale starts as soon as an empty needle starts to knit" (Spencer 1989:17).

[4] Høxbro, Vivian (2004).Shadow Knitting.Loveland, CO: Interweave Press.ISBN 978-1-931499-41-5.

[5] Leapman, Melissa (2006).Cables Untangled: An Exploration of Cable Knitting.Potter Craft.ISBN 978-1-4000-9745-6.

[6] Hollingworth, Shelagh (1983).The Complete Book of Traditional Aran Knitting.St. Martin's Press.ISBN 978-0-312-15635-0.

[7] Sowerby, Jane (2006).Victorian Lace Today.XRX Books.ISBN 978-1-933064-07-9.
Swansen, Meg (2005).A Gathering of Lace(2nd ed.). Schoolhouse Press.ISBN 978-1-893762-24-4.

[vargas-8] Vargas, Whitney. "Knitting Circle."Elle(Sept 2007): p192.

[9] Bansal, Paritosh (2008-01-24)."Designer Von Furstenberg sues Target over dress".Reuters.

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