Basic Principles of

Knitting

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ARM KNITTING

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 Hand knitting with simple pin

Knitting was originally done by

In hand knitting, yarn is looped around
pin (s) in the manner shown in Fig.
hand on straight or round needles
by slipping stitches from one
needle to the other and making a
new stitch with each change.
Hand pins of wood or plastic are
used for hand knitting.

The resultant fabric, a matrix of rows and columns of loops, is formed by

creating a single element in each complete cycle of operation.
Hence, if a fabric needs to have 100 loops in each row, then 100 cycles of
operation would be needed to produce one row. 4
 Mechanization of hand knitting

As shown in Fig., this machine has needles and each needle supports a
column of the matrix.
In each cycle of operation, all needles execute similar motion and
produce a loop each.
It is no wonder then that this method of production is immensely more
productive than hand knitting. 5
The process of knitting, as practiced commercially, can be broadly classified into the
following groups.

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 KNITTED FABRIC STRUCTUES
• There are two main industrial categories of
machine knitting : warp knitting and weft
knitting. Fabrics in both these categories
consist essentially of a series of interlinked
loops of yarn.

Warp Knit Weft Knit

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 Principle of weft knitting

In WEFT KNITTING, the general direction of path of yarn is across

the length of fabric.
This is analogous to a pick of weft in weaving process
Moreover, weft-knitting can be carried out from one single spool, analogous to
a package of weft . 8
 Principle of warp knitting
In WARP KNITTING the general A WALE is a column of loops intermeshed
direction of path of yarn is along the with each other along the length direction of a
knitted fabric. In Fig. four wales or wale-lines
length of the fabric, similar to that of
are shown. The distance between centers of
warp in weaving. neighboring wale lines is known as WALE-
SPACING (w). The number of wales in unit
width of fabric is designated as W.

A COURSE is a row of loops produced by

adjacent needles during the one knitting
cycle. In Fig., three courses are shown. The
distance between the courses of two
successive needle loops of the same wale
line is known as COURSE-SPACING (c).
The number of courses in unit length of fabric
is designated as C.

The product of the number of wales per

unit width and courses per unit length of
fabric equals the number of loops per
unit area of the fabric. This is
designated as STITCH DENSITY (S).
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The production process of knitted fabrics can be represented by the
following flow diagram.
Both warp and weft knitting processes are evidently much simpler
than the weaving process.

• The building block of a knitted fabric is the

LOOP.
• In a woven fabric, yarns are held in place
owing to inter yarn friction.
• In a knitted fabric the looping of yarns results
in positive binding.

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LOOPS are stitches hanging on to one another (Fig.) and held in shape on
the upper and lower interlacing zones by other loops.
The last row of knitted loops in a fabric is only bound at the lower zones and
can be referred to as half-loop.

Head(a)

The crown (a) is known as needle loop.

Legs(b) The two elements “c” if joined together
on the same side of the loop would result
in a mirror image of element (a).
This so joined element is also known as
sinker loop.
foot(c)

arms(d)

A Weft knitted loop and its elements 11

 WEFT KNITTING
• Knitting is a method of constructing fabric by
intermeshing series of loops of one or more yarns.

• Knitted fabric is unique in that it possesses a high order

of elasticity and recovery. It can be stretched to a
considerable length and yet will gradually return to its
original shape.

(a) Generally soft and light weight.

(b) Good drapability.
(c) A high order of wrinkle resistance.
(d) Comfort.
(e) The knitted structure is porous.
(f) It allows the skin to breathe freely. Its elasticity permits
greater freedom of body movements
(g) Ease of care. 12
 WARP KNITTING
• Warp knitting is the process of making a fabric
in which the loops form in a vertical or warpwise
direction;
• the yarn is prepared as warp on beams with one
or more yarns for each needle.
• The fabric has a flatter,
• less elastic knit than weft knit

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PRINCIPLE OF KNITTING

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 LOOP
• A needle loop is one
which has been
drawn through a
previous loop.

• A sinker loop is one

which connects
adjacent needle loops.

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 STITCH
• The stitch is the smallest dimensionally stable
unit of all knitted fabrics. It consists of a yarn
loop, which is held together by being
intermeshed with another stitch or other loops.
There are three basic knitted stitches : KNIT,
TUCK and MISS (float or non-knit) which form
the starting point for the entire range of weft
knitted structure.

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 KNIT AND PURL
• Knit stitch (technical face)
is of V-shape appearance
where the shanks are
above, and the feet are
below the head of the
preceding stitch.
• Purl stitch (technical back)
is of the semi-circle
appearance where the
legs are below, and the
feet are above the head of
the preceding stitch.
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 TUCK
• Tuck stitch is made
when a needle rises
to take a new loop
without casting off the
old. It consists of a
held loop and a tuck
loop, both of which
are intermeshed in
the same course.

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 MISS (NON-KNIT)

• A length of yarn not

received by a needle
and connecting two
loops of the same
course that are not in
adjacent wales.

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 WALE AND COURSE
• The series of loops
that intermesh in a
vertical direction are
known as 'Wale'.
• The loops that are
inter-connected
widthwise are known
as 'Course'.

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 FORMATION OF KNIT STITCH
(1) Start position (2) Clearing

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 FORMATION OF KNIT STITCH
(3) Latch opening (4) Feeding

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 FORMATION OF KNIT STITCH
(5) Drawing (6) Knock over

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 FORMATION OF TUCK STITCH
• Tuck on latch
The formation of tuck
stitch on a machine
which is not equipped
with movable upper
clearing or tuck cams
is only possible by
raising the stitch cam.
This prevents
knocking over taking
place and is known as
'tucking on latch'.
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 FORMATION OF TUCK STITCH
• Tuck on hook
A tuck stitch is formed on
a machine equipped with
movable upper clearing or
tuck cams by withdrawing
the tuck cams and
preventing the needles
from being raised to the
clearing position. This is a
safer way of forming tuck
stitches, and is known as '
tucking in the hook'.
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LATCH
NEEDLE

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