Weaving is the interlacement of two sets of threads (i.e.

warp and weft) at a right angle while

Knitting is the action of forming fabrics by the intermeshing of loops.
Reasons for the growth of knitting

 The capital investment for starting a new weft knitting unit is relatively small. Preparatory
processes are not necessary.
 High production rate – less time required to complete an order
 Setting up of knitting machine to produce a given type of fabric is a faster and simpler
operation.
 Knitting is more flexible than weaving. Styles and designs can be changed with unparalleled
rapidity.
 Knitted fabrics have shape fitting and crease shedding properties
 The knit fabrics have become comfortable. It has wrinkle-free and easy care properties. For
swim-wear and sportswear, knitted fabrics are the most comfortable ones.
 Knitting units require very less number of labours.

Comparison of Weaving and Knitting

KNITTING WEAVING
1. Converting yarn into fabric by interlooping 1. Converting yarn into fabric by Interfacing
using knitting elements. warp & Weft
2. Capital investment is less due to less 2. The capital investment is high
number of preparatory machineries
requirement
3. Supply package is cone or warp beam 3. Supply package is in the form of yarn beam
and weft yarn is in the form of pirn/ cone or
cheese
4. Productivity of knitting Machine is high 4. Productivity is less.
5. Simpler operation and faster production 5. Design modification is difficult
6. Require less labour 6. More labours are required

Woven Fabric Knitted Fabric

1. Rigid, inextensible & high elastic 1. Highly enterable with incomplete elastic
recovery recovery
2. Less comfortable 2. Comfortable to wear and shape-fitting
3. Easily ripped by grapping between properly
the fingers 3. Difficult to tear the knitted garment
4. Forms crease & wrinkle easily 4. Highly resistance to crease formation
5. Thinner 5. Thicker than woven fabric of same GSM
6. Stiffer than the knit of same GSM 6. Flexible
7. High bending length / high flexural 7. Low bending length / low flexural rigidity
rigidity and bending modules and bending modules
8. Less air permeable 8. More air permeable
9. Woven are stronger 9. Knitted fabrics are weaker than woven

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General terms and definitions used in knitting
Course
A course is a predominantly horizontal row of needle loops produced by adjacent needles during the
same knitting cycle. A course determines the length of fabric and is measured in courses per inch.
Wales
A wale is a predominantly vertical column of intermeshed needle loops generally produced by the
same needle knitting at successive knitting cycles. A wale commences as soon as an empty needle
starts to knit. Wales determine the width of fabric and are measured as wales per inch.

The sinker loop is the piece of yarn that joins one weft knitted needle loop to the next.
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Knit Loop consists of two parts

1. Sinker loop

2. Needle loop

Stitch Density

Stitch density refers to the total number of loops in a measured area of fabric. It is the total number
of needle loops in a given area (such as a square inch, or three square centimetres).
Loop or Stitch length: 
The length of yarn knitted into one stitch in a weft knitted fabric. Stitch length is a length of yarn
which includes the needle loop and half the sinker loop on either side of it. Generally, the larger the
stitch length, the more extensible and lighter the fabric and the poorer the cover, opacity and
bursting strength.
Stitch Length = One needle loop + Two half a sinker loop
Machine Gauge
Gauge of the knitting machine is expressed in terms of needles per inch. Higher the gauge, higher
the number of needles per inch and finer will be the fabric.
Knitting Needles
Beard Needle
The stem, around which the needle loop is formed.
The head, where the stem is turned into a hook to draw the new loop through the old loop.
The beard, which is the curved downwards continuation of the hook that is used to separate the
trapped new loop inside from the old loop as it slides off the needle beard.
The eye, or groove, cut in the stem to receive the pointed tip of the beard when it is pressed, thus
enclosing the new loop.
The shank, which may be bent for individual location in the machine or cast with others in a metal
‘lead’.

Latch Needle
The hook, which draws and retains the new loop.
The slot or saw cut, which receives the latch-blade (not illustrated).
The cheeks or slot walls, which are either punched or riveted to fulcrum the latch blade.
The rivet, which may be plain or threaded. This has been dispensed with on most plate metal
needles, by pinching in the slot walls to retain the latch blade.
The latch-blade, which locates the latch in the needle.
The latch spoon, which is an extension of the blade, and bridges the gap between the hook and the
stem covering the hook when closed, as shown in broken lines.

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The stem, which carries the loop in the clearing or rest position.
The butt, which enables the needle to be reciprocated when contacted by cam profiles on either side
of it, forming a track. Double-ended purl type needles have a hook at each end; whilst one hook
knits, the inactive hook is controlled as a butt by a cam-reciprocated element called a slider.
The tail, which is an extension below the butt, giving additional support to the needle and keeping
the needle in its trick.
Compound Needles

Beard Needle Latch Needle Compound Needle

Requires another element to Self-acting Needle It consists of two separately
close the hook controlled parts
Less Expensive More Expensive Most Expensive
Beard Needles are thin and Latch Needles are thick and Slim construction than latch
flexible rigid needle and short hook
Usually mounted on finer Usually mounted on coarser
gauge machine gauge machine
It wears and breaks easily Strong in nature
No strain on yarn Imposes certain strain on yarn No strain on yarn
It makes a shorter stroke in the It makes a longer stroke in the It makes a shortest stroke in the
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knitting cycle knitting cycle knitting cycle
Stitches are tight and minimum Stitches are loose Needles can knit tight
loop robbing
Less fly and fluff generation Due to rubbing, fly and fluff
generations are high
Time required to knit the loop Takes longer time to knit the
Takes shortest time to knit the
is less loop loop
High Machine speed Low machine speed Highest machine speed
Knitting Action of Latch Needle
Fig shows the position of a latch needle as it passes through the cam system, completing one
knitting cycle or course as it moves up and in its trick or slot.
1 The rest position. The head of the needle hook is level with the top of the verge of the trick. The
loop formed at the previous feeder is in the closed hook. It is prevented from rising as the needle
rises, by holding-down sinkers or web
holders that move forward between the needles to hold down the sinker loops.
2 Latch opening. As the needle butt passes up the incline of the clearing cam, the old loop, which is
held down by the sinker, slides inside the hook and contacts the latch, turning and opening it.
3 Clearing height. When the needle reaches the top of the cam, the old loop is cleared from the
hook and latch spoon on to the stem. At this point the feeder guide plate acts as a guard to prevent
the latch from closing the empty hook.
4 Yarn feeding and latch closing. The needle starts to descend the stitch cam so that its latch is
below the verge, with the old loop moving under it. At this point the new yarn is fed through a hole
in the feeder guide to the descending needle
hook, as there is no danger of the yarn being fed below the latch. The old loop contacts the
underside of the latch, causing it to close on to the hook.
5 Knocking-over and loop length formation. As the head of the needle descends below the top of
the trick, the old loop slides off the needle and the new loop is drawn through it. The continued
descent of the needle draws the loop length,
which is approximately twice the distance the head of the needle descends, below the surface of the
sinker or trick-plate supporting the sinker loop. The distance is determined by the depth setting of
the stitch cam, which can be adjusted.
The rest position actually occurs between positions 1 and 2, when the open needle hook just
protrudes above the needle trick verge. In this position, a feeder would be passed without the needle
receiving a new loop and the old loop would not be cast off, so that a float stitch would be
produced. The tucking in the hook position occurs between positions 2 and 3, when the needle can
receive the new yarn but the old loop has not been cleared from the open latch.

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Knit Stitch
Knit loop is produced by clearing the old loop below the latch by raising the needle and feeding a new yarn
into the hook. The new loop is pulled through the old loop and forms knit stitch.

Float or Miss Stitch

If the needle is not raised by the clearing cam it does not receive the new yarn and the yarn goes behind
the needle. The yarn remains behind the needle and appears in the fabric as a float. The old knit loop not
cleared is called the ‘held loop’. When the needle is raised on the subsequent course the new knit loop is
pulled through the held loop. Unwanted colour can be hidden from the face side using float stitch.

Tuck Stitch
If the needle is not raised to its clearing position but is partially raised by the clearing cam so that the old
loop is not cleared from the latch of the needle but the feeder has fed a new yarn into the hook then a tuck
stitch is formed when the needle moves down. In this case the new yarn and the held loop are in the hook
of the needle. When the needle is raised on the subsequent course, the new knit loop is pulled through the
held loop and tuck loop.

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 Float Stitch

Tuck Stitch

Effect of Float and Tuck Stitches

S.No. Float Stitch Tuck Stitch
1. Float stitches make the fabric thinner than Fabric with tuck stitches appears thicker than the fabric
the normal fabric due to less no. of loops. with only knit stitches.

2. It makes the fabric narrower because the It makes the fabric wider because loop shape at the tuck
floats pull the structure from both sides. stitch is distorted and has wider base.

3. The structure becomes less extensible Tuck loops reduce fabric length and length-wise elasticity
than either knit stitch or tuck stitch because the higher yam tension on the tuck and held
structures. loops.

4. The fabric becomes lighter in weight The tuck structure becomes open and porous than a knit
structure.

5. The fabric appears filmsy or less rigid Tuck loops provide greater stability and shape retention.

6. Max. No. of continuous floats is up to 6 Under normal conditions, up to four successive tucks can
needles. be accumulated before tension causes yarn rupture or
needle damage.

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S.
Plain Rib Interlock Purl
No.

1.  V-Shaped loops on face side  Vertical cards & thin ridges  Face loops are directly in  Horizontal cards & thin ridges
Semi-circular shaped loops on in between front of the reverse loops in between
back side are seen on face and  The same appearance on in each wale  The same appearance on both
backside respectively. both side  The same appearance on sides
 Face side smoother  Reversible structure both side  Reversible
 Non reversible - Unbalanced  Balanced Structure  Reversible  Balanced
structure  Balanced
2.  Recovery of about 40% in  Maximum extensibility in  Fabric is firm and less  Maximum extensibility in the
width way. width way extensible length way
 Width shortens if the length is  Neck bands, collars arm  Thicker and stronger
extended vice versa band, sleeve cuff, waist  Less elastic and nearer to
 Width way extensibility is brand the woven structure
twice that of the length way  Fits tightly to the body than
 Distorts easily under tension plain knit
3.  Form fitting and comfort  Heavier & thicker structure  Heavier & thicker than rib  Thickness is theoretically
than plain knit & purl double to that of plain
 Tight fitting  double cloth
 Firm
4.  It curls upwards at the top and  Does not curl at the edges  Does not curl at the  Does not curl at the edges
bottom and backwards at the edges  It is useful in cutting & sewing
sides  More ladder resistant
than plain, rib and purl
 Cutting & sewing are
easier
5.  Unroved from the course  Cannot be unroved from the  It unroves from the  It can be unroved from either
knitted last by pulling the course knitted first because course knitted the last end like plain
needle loops from back side singer loops are securely
(or) course knitted first by anchored
pulling singer loops from face  It can be unroved from the
side last course knitted

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6.  Single set of needles cylinder  Cylinder & dial needles.  Cylinder & dial needles  Needles with both side hooked
needles long & short needles  Horizontal bed
 Finer gauge machine
7.  Production rate is very high.  Production rate is lower  Due to complicated  Speed & production in low
 Its cost is very low. than single jersey mechanism, speed & when compared to other weft
 Costlier than plain. production is low. knit structures
 Costlier
 Production rate in half for
the same speed as that of
rib or plain
8.  Thick or flimsy if the stitch  Structure is more opaque
length is reduced or increased.  Sweater and outer wear

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Knit Stitch

Knit loop is produced by clearing the old loop below the latch by raising the needle and feeding a new
yarn into the hook. The new loop is pulled through the old loop and forms knit stitch.

Float or Miss Stitch

If the needle is not raised by the clearing cam it does not receive the new yarn and the yarn goes behind
the needle. The yarn remains behind the needle and appears in the fabric as a float. The old knit loop
not cleared is called the ‘held loop’. When the needle is raised on the subsequent course the new knit
loop is pulled through the held loop. Unwanted colour can be hidden from the face side using float
stitch.

Tuck Stitch

If the needle is not raised to its clearing position but is partially raised by the clearing cam so that the old
loop is not cleared from the latch of the needle but the feeder has fed a new yarn into the hook then a
tuck stitch is formed when the needle moves down. In this case the new yarn and the held loop are in
the hook of the needle. When the needle is raised on the subsequent course, the new knit loop is pulled
through the held loop and tuck loop.

Float Stitch

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 Tuck Stitch

Effect of Float and Tuck Stitches

S.No. Float Stitch Tuck Stitch

1. Float stitches make the fabric thinner than Fabric with tuck stitches appears thicker than the
the normal fabric due to less no. of loops. fabric with only knit stitches.

2. It makes the fabric narrower because the It makes the fabric wider because loop shape at
floats pull the structure from both sides. the tuck stitch is distorted and has wider base.

3. The structure becomes less extensible than Tuck loops reduce fabric length and length-wise
either knit stitch or tuck stitch structures. elasticity because the higher yam tension on the
tuck and held loops.

4. The fabric becomes lighter in weight The tuck structure becomes open and porous
than a knit structure.

5. The fabric appears filmsy or less rigid Tuck loops provide greater stability and shape
retention.

6. Max. No. of continuous floats is up to 6 Under normal conditions, up to four successive

needles. tucks can be accumulated before tension causes
yarn rupture or needle damage.

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Running-in position: The sinker is forward, holding down the old loop whilst the needle rises
from the rest position.

Clearing: The needle has been raised to its highest position clearing the old loop from its latch.

Yarn feeding: The sinker is partially withdrawn allowing the feeder to present its yarn to the
descending needle hook and also freeing the old loop so that it can slide up the needle stem
and under the open latch spoon.

Knock-over: The sinker is fully withdrawn whilst the needle descends to knock over its old loop
on the sinker belly.

Holding-down: The sinker moves forward to hold down the new loop in its throat whilst the
needle rises under the influence of the upthrow cam where the head of the open hook just
protrudes above the sinker belly.

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The knitting action of a circular rib machine is shown in Fig: 

1. Clearing: The cylinder and dial needles move out to clear the plain and rib loops formed in
the previous cycle. 

2. Yarn feeding: The needles are withdrawn into their tricks so that the old loops are covered by
the open latches and the new yarn is fed into the open hooks. 

3. Knocking Over: The needles are withdrawn into their tricks so that the old loops are cast off
and new loops are drawn through them.  

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