MDSE 2650 Textiles for Apparel Knitting Ch 14 Knitting Knit Fabrics Interloping one or more sets of yarn to form fabric Traditional method of constructing sweaters underwear hosiery High productivity rate 4 7 times faster than weaving Increased use of yarn Less wrinkling due to loops Tendency to snag shrink Curls at cut edges Comfortable due to high levels of stretch Stretch and conforms to the body o Requires less shaping devices o Allows wider range of fit Knit Terminology Wale o Vertical rows of loops o Same as warm direction of woven fabrics Course o Horizontal scallops loops o Same as filling direction of woven fabrics Gauge Most comparable to count o Size or fineness of the loop stitch o Number of loops per inch of fabric o As gauge increases loops get smaller o Higher gauge is finer with softer drape o 12 14 gauge is considered good quality gauge higher gauge smaller loop Low gauge larger loop MDSE 2650 Textiles for Apparel Filling or Weft Knit Fabric 2 types of groups of knit fabrics 1 Weft stitches run left to right most common 2 Warp Fabric stitches run left to right Type of stitches sequence of stitches determines knit fabric name 4 weft knit stitch types 1 Knit foundation stitch 2 Purl or reverse stitch foundation stitch Tops bottoms visible 3 Tuck decorative stitch Creates patterns in fabric by creating open areas Decorative used in conjunction w knit and or purl stitches 4 Float or miss stitch decorative stitch Creates patterns in fabric Uses different colored yarns and stitches to face to create pattern Floats are stitched along the back when a pattern is not desired shows up skips a few shows up again Knit stitch o Basic stitch used for most filling knits o Sides of loops visible on the face side MDSE 2650 Textiles for Apparel Filling or Weft Knit Fabrics Single o Jersey most popular All knit stitches on the face Wale on face courses on back up down Uses for jersey bed sheets tube socks t shirts sweaters Lots of stretch crosswise undergarments o Rib Knit fabric is reversible common Alternating knit purl stitches across a single course Wales are all the same stitch Types number of wales grouped together listed as 1x1 1 Wale of knit 1 wales of purl 2x2 2 wales of knit 2 wales of purl 3x2 3 wales of knit 2 wales of purl o Purl or Reverse Alternating knit purl stitches along a single wale Alternating courses of purl knit left to right Fabrics is reversible MDSE 2650 Textiles for Apparel o Jacquard Jersey knit Pattern created w different stitches Knit tuck float stitches at different points Yarns are also different Color or texture Different yarns visible on surface only for design o Intarsa Knit No floats along back Also uses different yarns But only knitted into the area that is patterned Lighter uses less yarn Better stretch crosswise than jacquard knit Clear pattern on front back Higher quality o Pile Jerseys Used to make velour terry cloth or fake fur Made on jersey fabric w the loops on the technical back then used as the face Similar in appearance to woven pile fabrics Pile may be yarn loops or fiber Warp knit made w filament yarns Fastest method of producing fabric Loops interlock in a zigzag side to side pattern Lighter weight than filling knits Used for lingerie undergarments linings 2 main types of warp knit fabrics 1 Tricot Warp knit Vertical loops on front w zig zag pattern on back Face appears finer than back Curls easily but does not ravel MDSE 2650 Textiles for Apparel Less stretch than filling knits Low elasticity lengthwise more crosswise Used for lingerie sleepwear blouses 2 Raschel Pillar and inlay effect Resulting fabrics resembles lace Warp knit Open lightweight designs Used for window coverings tabletop accessories Raschel Warp Knit Example