Knitting Chapter-02

Glimpses of knitting
For knitting a fabric, only one or one set of yarns is to be supplied to the
knitting machine. Depending upon the direction of movement of yarn during
loop formation with relation to the direction of fabric formation, knitting
technique is classified as warp knitting and weft knitting.
Weft knitting machines produce four basic knitted structures such as plain,
rib, interlock and purl. Plain structure is produced in single jersey machine
whereas the other three are produced in double jersey machines.

These basic structures are composed of face loops and back loops.
The main element required in loop formation is needle. Latch needles
are used in weft knitting and bearded needles are mainly used in warpknitting.
The other important element required in loop formation is sinker. Theneedles
are given upward and downward movement along its axis for loop formation
by means of a cam system. For proper axial movement of the
 Advantages of knitting
The technique of inter-looping for making fabrics has the following
advantages:
● Fabric can be produced from minimum number of yarns, even only
one yarn.
● The extensibility and stability of the knitted fabric can be engineered.
● The desired porosity or compactness of the fabric can be achieved
easily.
● Loop structures are easily distorted under tension in application,
which imparts more freedom of movement and comfort of the wearer.
● Yarn can easily flow from one loop to another under tension.
● Wastage of yarn during conversion of yarn in to fabric by knitting is
negligible.
● Knitting can produce fabrics which are very much suitable for intimate
wears as well as for technical applications.

Reasons for the growth of knitting

● Capital investment for starting a new knitting unit is less than that
required for other fabric-producing industries.
● No yarn preparatory machinery is required in weft knitting and only
warping is needed in warp knitting.
● Machine productivity is high.
● Time required to get an order executed is less than weaving.
● Knitting is more flexible than weaving, i.e. styles and designs can be
changed rapidly.
● Modern knitting machines, particularly warp knitting machines can
produce various types of technical textiles (medical textiles, automobile
textiles, geo-textiles, etc.).
● Seamless garments can directly be made in knitting.
● Knitted garments have very good demand in export market.
● Computer-aided designing and manufacturing in knitting have made
it possible to manufacture any desired structure within a short time
at reasonable price.
Comparison between weaving and knitting
The comparison of the features of the techniques, machines and products
of weaving and knitting is given in Table

Weaving Knitting
1. Fabric is made by interlacement of Fabric is made by inter-looping of threads
threads
2. Two sets of threads – warp and weft – One or one set of thread(s) – either warp
are used in making the fabrics or weft – is use d in making the fabric
3. Weaving requires more number of Knitting requires less number of
preparatory processes preparatory processes
4. Fabric is less stretchable Fabric is more stretchable
5. Fabric does not bend easily and results Fabric bends easily and results good
less comfort and form fitting property comfort and form fitting property
6. Fabric has low wrinkle (crease) Fabric has high wrinkle (crease) resistance
resistance
7. Fabric is less porous and air permeable Fabric is more porous and air permeable
8. Fabric is stronger and durable Fabric is comparatively weaker and less
durable
9. Lesser inherent tensions cause During conversion of yarn into loop,
minimum shrinkage and loss of size tension development is high which results
higher shrinkage
10. Fabrics are more dimensional stable Because of loop structure and inability of
due to tighter construction and yarn to return to original position, the
intersecting of warp and weft in right dimensional stability is poor
angle
Comparison between weft knitting and warp
knitting
The relative comparison between weft knitting and warp knitting
(process, machine and structure) is shown in Table
Weft knitting Warp knitting
1. Loop formation takes place course Loop formation takes place wale wise in
wise in horizontal direction vertical direction
2. Yarn runs in horizontal or course Yarn runs in vertical or wale direction during
direction during knitting knitting
3. Yarn is supplied generally in the form Yarn is supplied generally in the form of
of cone hold in a creel warp beam (number of beams may be 2 or
more)
4. Only one or a few yarn(s) (152 Large number of yarns are needed for
maximum) is/are needed during knitting a fabric
knitting a fabric
5. Staple yarns are preferably used but Filament yarns are mostly used but staple
filament yarns are more suitable yarns are nowadays used in some cases
6. Less preparatory processes are More preparatory processes are required
required before knitting before knitting
7. Latch needles are used in all Bearded needles are mostly used but latch
machines needles can also be used in some cases
material
8. Fabrics have good stretchability in Fabrics have low stretchability in both
both direction, comparatively higher direction, comparatively higher in width
width direction direction
9. Machine may be flat or circular Machines are generally flat
10. Circular machine produces circular Mainly flat fabrics are produced but limited
fabrics but both flat or tubular fabric range of circular fabrics can also be
may be produced in flat machine produced.
Knitting action of the latch needle
The knitting action of the latch needle, i.e., the position of a latch needle
as it passes through the cam system and moves up and down in its trick
with reference to the sinker level for completing one knitting cycle, is shown
in Fig. 3.8. The knitting cycle passes through a large number of stages
as described in the undergoing.

i. Rest position of the needle (a). The head or crown of the needle is at
a slightly higher level of the top of the verge or sinker. The loop formed
at the previous feeder or knitting cycle is in the closed hook.
ii. Latch opening (b). As the needle follows the cam profile, needle is
forced to gradually move up by the clearing cam. The old loop which
is held down by the sinker as well as pulled by the take-down load, slides
inside the hook, comes in contact with the latch and opens the latch.
iii. Clearing height (c). As the needle reaches the top of the clearing cam,
 the old loop is cleared from the latch and the latch is hanging down.
iv. Yarn feeding and latch closing (d and e). The needle starts to descend
under the control of the stitch cam. The old loop which slides on the
needle stem comes under the latch. At this height new yarn is fed to
the needle and the needle continues downward movement. The loop
closes the latch on the hook and rides over the latch. The sinker starts
to move outward
v. Casting-off (f). As the needle head approaches the verge or sinker level,
the old loop slides off the needle and the new loop is drawn through it.
The sliding off of the old loop from the needle is called casting-off and
the old loop is called cast-off loop. The sinker continues outward
movement and allows the old loop to lie on the throat.
vi. Loop formation (g and h). The needle with the new loop in its hook
descends further inside the trick and the loop size gradually increases.
The needle ultimately reaches the bottom of the stitch cam, i.e., the down
most position and maximum length of yarn is drawn mainly from
the package and partly from the previous loop to complete the formation
of the new loop. The down most point is termed as knitting point. The
sinker starts inward movement.
vii. Attaining idle position (i and j). The needle with the new loop insidethe hook
moves up. The Sinker completes the inward movement and pushes the old
loops or fabric to assist take-down. The needle reaches the idle position again
During loop formation the sinkers also move to and for maintaining same
height or level. However, for the sake of simplicity, the different positions
of the sinker with respect to the needle are not shown in the figures. Only
to have an idea of the same the position of the sinker at knitting point been
shown in Fig.
Knitting action of the bearded needle
Like latch needle bearded needle also passes through different stages during
a knitting cycle. The different stages of loop formation are shown in Fig.

i. Idle position of the needle (a). The head or tip of the needle is at a
slightly higher level of the top of the verge or sinker. The loop formed
at the previousfeeder or knitting cycle is inside the hook.
ii. Clearing height (b). As the needle follows the cam profile, needle is
forced to gradually move up by the clearing cam. The old loop
whichis held down by the sinker as well as pulled by the take-down
load slidesinside the hook. As the needle reaches the top of the
clearing cam, the old loop is cleared from the hook, i.e., it reaches
beyond the control of the beard.
iii. Yarn feeding (c). The needle starts to descend under the control of
the stitch cam. The old loop slides on the needle in upward
direction. At this height new yarn is fed to the needle and the needle
continues downward movement.
iv. Hook closing (d and e). The pusher or presser bar comes in contact
withthe beard and closes the hook so that the old loop sliding on the
needle stem now can ride over the beard.
v. Casting-off (f). As the needle head approaches the sinker or verge
level,the old loop slides off the needle and the new loop is drawn
through it. The pressure bar is withdrawn. The sliding off of the old
loop from the needle is called casting-off and the old loop is called
cast-off loop.
vi. Loop formation (g). The needle with the new loop in its hook
descends further inside the trick and the loop size gradually increases.
The needleultimately reaches the bottom of the stitch cam, i.e., the
down most position and maximum length of yarn is drawn to form the
loop. This istermed as knitting point.
vii. Idle position (h). The needle with the new loop inside the hook moves
up. Sinker pushes the old loops or fabric to assist take-down. The
needleattains the idle position again.
Features of plain (single jersey) knitting
(machine, process and structure)
(a) Machine has only one bed which may be flat or circular.
(b) There is only one set of needles and one cam system in the machine.
(c) Minimum one yarn is needed to produce a fabric.
(d) Single-faced structure, i.e., only one type of loops – Face or Back –
are visible on the surface.
(e) Fabric has good extensibility in both length and width direction but
width-wise extensibility is generally much higher than length-wise
extensibility.
(f) Yarn /course can be unroved from starting and ending end of knitting.
(g) Fabric curls at the free edges on flat surface – toward the front at the
upper and lower edges and toward the back at left and right edges.
This curling is mainly due to the unbalanced yarn bending moment
existing in the three-dimensional nature of the structure. Yarn bending
rigidity property is responsible for curling.
(h) Because of stitch simplicity, production rate is high and machine is
simple and cheap.
(i) Properties like rigidity, air permeability, bursting strength, etc. and GSM
of the fabric change with change in loop length.
(j) Fabric thickness is approximately two times the diameter of the yarn
used.

(k) Sinker top machine is very common.

(l) Common gauge is 16–28 for circular machines and 5–12 for flat
machines.
 Features of rib knitting (machine, process and
structure)
(a) Machine has two beds – may be flat or circular.
(b) There are two sets of needles – one in each bed.
(c) There are two cam systems – one in each bed.
(d) Needles in the two beds are not face to face but needles in one bed
are in between the needles of the other bed so that they do not touch
while raised for clearing.
(e) Rib fabrics are double-faced structures as well as balanced structures.
(f) Both face loops and back loops are visible on both the sides of the
fabric, and fabric has identical appearance in face and back.
(g) Each course is made of face loop and back loop in alternative order,
the order may be 1×1, 2×2, 3×3, 6×3, etc.
(h) Fabric surface is vertically corrugated or ribbed.
(i) Fabric is much thicker, generally double, than single jersey fabric.
(j) Fabric has good extensibility in length direction, but the width-wise
extensibility and the recovery are much higher than single jersey fabric
which makes it suitable for neck collar, hand cuff, waist band, etc.
(k) Fabric does not curl at the free edges.
(l) Fabric can easily be unroved from the end last knitted.
(m) Rib machine requires finer yarn and results in comparatively costly
fabric.

Rib Structure
Features of interlock knitting (machine,
process and structure)
(a) Machine has two beds. Machines may be flat or circular, but generally
circular.
(b) There are two sub sets of needles in each bed, the sub sets are known as
short needles and long needles, respectively.
(c) Two sets of cam system, i.e. cam path in each bed accommodate short
and long needles of the corresponding beds.
(d) Needles in two beds face each other – short needles in one bed face
the long needles in the other bed and vice versa.
(e) Short needles in one bed make loops in conjunction with short needles
in the other bed, similarly long needles in one bed make loops in
conjunction with long needles in the other bed.
(f) Separate yarns are to be supplied to the short needles and long needles
for loop formation through separate feeders.
(g) Short needles and long needles don’t make loop simultaneously but with
a time gap.
(h) Loops made by one set of needles are locked by the loops made by the
other set of needles.
(i) Minimum two yarns are needed to produce a fabric.
(j) Fabric has double faced as well as very stable structure.
(k) Fabric is equally thicker to rib but much more compact.
(l) Fabric neither curls nor ladder.
(m) Machine is complicated and costly.
(n) Fabrics are dimensional stable, heavy and costly.

Interlock structure.
Comparison of basic weft knitted structures

Property Plain 1x1 Rib 1x1 Purl Interlock

Appearance Different in face Same on both Same on both Same on both
& back, V-shapes sides,like face sides,like face sides,like face
in face & arcs of plain of plain of plain
on back
Extensibility -
Lengthwise Moderate Moderate Very high Moderate
(10-20%)
Widthwise High (30-50%) Very high (>50%) High Moderate
Area Moderate-high High High Moderate
Thickness and Thicker and Much thicker and Much thicker Very much
Warmth warmer than warmer than and warmer thicker and
plain woven plain than plain warmer than
made from plain
same yarn
Unroving Either ends Only from end Either ends Only from end
knitted last knitted last
Curling Tendency to curl No tendency to No tendency to No tendency to
curl curl curl
End-uses Inner garments, Outerwear, Children´s Underwear,
stockings, Socks,knitwear, clothing, trouser suits,
T-shirts and under-wear, knitwear, shirts, dresses,
dresses,base Collar, cuffs & heavy sportswear,
fabric forcoating waist bands in outerwear
different
garments