Knitting terminology & definitions

Warp Knitting, weft knitting, course, wales, course & wale count, loop length, sinker, guide & Guide bars, pressure bar,

1. By : Dr. VipinKumari
Terminology & DefinitionsKnitting

2. Knitting
Knittingisthesecondmostfrequentlyusedmethodoffabric
construction.Theterm“knitting“describethetechniqueof
constructingtextilestructuresbyformingacontinuouslength
ofyarnintocolumnsofverticallyintermeshedloops.Knitted
fabricshavebeengainingpopularityduringthepasttwo
decades.Knittedfabricsarenowwidelyusedintheapplications
wherewovenfabricsformerlypredominated.Today,theusage
ofknittedfabricsrangesfromhosiery,underwear,sweaters,
slacks,torugsandotherhomefurnishings.
Inknittingtoformafabricbytheintermeshingofloopsofyarn.

3. WeftKnitting:Loopsareformedbyneedles
knittingtheyarnacrossthewidthofthefabric.
Eachweftthreadisfedatrightanglestothe
directionoffabricformation.
WarpKnitting:Loopsareformedbyneedles
knittingaseriesofwarpyarnsfedparalleltothe
directionoffabricformation.

4. Courses:Acourseofaknitfabricisapredominantly
horizontalrowofneedleloops(inanuprightfabrics).Inother
words,thecrosswiserowsofstitchesorloopsarecalled
courses.Thedirectionofthecoursescorrespondstothe
fillingofwovengoods.Thenumberofcoursesdetermines
thelengthofthefabric.
Wales:Awalecomprisesarowofstitchesthatrunin
columnsalongthelengthwisedirectionofthefabric.Itisa
predominatelyverticalcolumnofinterlacedneedleloops.
Thiscorrespondstothewarpdirectionofwovenfabrics.
Thenumberofwalesdeterminesthewidthofthefabric.

5. Course Count: The number of courses in a knit fabric per unit length
measure. For example: courses per inch/ course per cm.
Wale Count: The number of wales in a knit fabric per unit length. For
example: wales per inch /wales per cm.
Looplength:Looplengthmeasuredinmillimeters,isthelengthofyarn
inoneknittedloop.Itisoneofthemostimportantfactorscontrolling
thepropertiesofknittedfabrics.Generally,thelargeinthelooplength,
themoreopenandlighterthefabric.

6. Technicallyupright:Aknittedfabricistechnicallyuprightwhenits
coursesrunhorizontallyanditswalesrunvertically,withtheheadsof
theneedleloopsfacingtowardsthetopofthefabric.Theterm
technicallyuprightispurelyatechnicaldescriptionanddoesnot
necessarilyindicateorientationfromtheusergaze.
Stitch density: Stitch density refers to the total number of loop in a
measures area of fabric. It is the total number of loops in a given area
(such as 10 sqcm). Unit: number of loops per square inch
Stitch density= Wales density x Courses density
=Wales per inch X Courses per inch
= WPI X CPI
.
Stitch: A stitch is produced when a knitted loop is pulled through a
previously formed loop. Stitches are the fundamental units in a knit
fabric. Each loop has one head, two legs and two feet.

7. Needle loop:
Needle loop is the upper part of the loop produced by the needle
drawing the yarn.
Sinker loop:
The lower part of the knitted loop is technically referred as sinker loop. It is the
connection of two legs belonging to neighboring stitches lying laterally.
Closed loop:
In closed loop the legs cross at the bottom, so that the loop closing takes place.
.
Open loop:
The open loop is one in which the loop forming yarns do not cross at the
bottom of the loop.

8. Faceloop:
Duringloopformation,whenthenewloopemergesthroughtheoldloop
frombacktothefacesidethenitistermedasfacelooporweftknitted
loop.
Technical face:
The side of the fabric which contains all of face or knit loops , is called
as technical face of the fabric.
Technical back:
The side of the fabric which contains all back loops or purl loops is known
as technical back.
.
Back loop:
If the new loop passes from the face side to the back of the previous loop
then it is termed as back loop or purl loop.

9. Pressure Bar: Its essential when the warp knitting machine using
bearded needles for closing the hook of the needle.
When the hook is closing , the old loop will be cast-off from the needle.
Cut:
Cut is the number of needles per inch(NPI) in a weft knitting machine. This
term is only used in weft knitting.

10. Guide & Guide Bar : Guides are the metal plates drilled with a hole
in their lower end. The guides are held together at the upper end in a
metal is called guide bar. The guides are placed in between two
adjacent needles .
Guides are evenly spaced , similar to the gauge of the machine.
Guide bar is a mechanism on a warp knitting machine which directs
warp yarns to the knitting needles, and their movement is controlled
so that patterns can be knit.
Guide bar movement : Two movements of guide bar in a knitting
machine. 1. Swinging movement 2. Shoggingmovement
The swinging and shoggingmotion act at right angle to each other in
order to form overlap and underlap .

11. Sinker :The sinker is thin plate of metal which is placed in between two
needles .The sinkers are almost have forward and backward direction
through the sinker bar .This is driven by crank or eccentric
arrangement. The throat of the sinker will be used to holding the fabric
while the needles lifted up.
.
Gauge :Gauze is the number of needle in a measured space on the
knitting machine. Higher –gauge fabrics are made with finer needles:
lower –gauge fabrics are made with coarser or larger needles.
“Gauge,” is also termed as “cut” and tension.” This “unit of measure” is
equal to the number of needles contained in the “gauze” (size) and it is
simply countable on the bed of needles of each knitting machines, flat
or circular.
.

12. Cylinder/Dial:TheCylinderisasteelCircularbedhaving
groovesonitsouterperipherywheretheneedlesare
mounted.ItisaDevisetodecidetheneedlemovement.
Pressure Bar:
Pressure bar is essential when the warp knitting machine using
bearded needles for closing the hook of the needle. When the
hook is closing, the old loop will be cast-off from the needle.

13. CAM:TheCAMisthesecondprimaryknittingelement.Itis
mechanicaldeviceswhichconverttherotarymachinedriveinto
suitablereciprocatingactionfortheneedleorotherelements.In
knittingtechnologyengineeringCAMandknittingCAMareused.
Underlap:Thelengthofyarnconnectingtheloopsiscalledan
underlap.Itisformedbytheshoggingmovementsoftheends
acrosstheneedles.
Overlap:Formedbytheyarnbeingwrappedaroundtheneedle
anddrawnthroughthepreviousloop.

14. Needlesandneedlebar:
Needlebedorneedlecarrieristheplacewheretheneedlesarelocatedor
mountedinaknittingmachine.Needlemovesupanddowninthetrickofa
needlecarrier.Itwillbeliftedupandlowereddownbymeansofacamfitted
outsidethemachine.Mostlyinthewarpknittingmachinesbeardedandlatch
needleswillbeused.
Two types of needle carrier: Cylindrical or circular and Flat

15. PARTS
Head: The stem is turned into a hook to draw the new loop through the old
loop.
Beard:Beardisthecurveddownwardscontinuationofthehookthatis
usedtoseparatethetrappednewloopinsidefromtheoldloopasitslides
offtheneedlebeard.
Stem : Stem is formed the needle loop.
Eye/groove: Eye is cut in the stem to receive the pointed tip of the beard
when it is pressed, thus enclosing the new loop.
Shank : which may be bent for individual location in the machine.
BearedNeedle
The bearded or spring needle was the first type of needle to be produced.
• It is the cheapest and simplest type to manufacture as it is made from a
single piece of metal.
• The bearded needle is essentially a frame needle, the needles being
fixed to move. For finer fabrics with smaller loops.

16. Compoundneedles
•Compoundneedlesconsistoftwoseparatelycontrolled
parts-theopenhookandtheslidingclosingelement
(tongue,latch,piston,plunger)
•Itismostpopularinwarpknittingmachines
•Straininnotputontheyarn
•Bothmembersofcompoundneedlehaveastraight,thus
knittingspeedcanbeincreased.
•Theseneedleareveryexpensivetomanufacture.

17. Latch Needle
PARTS
Hook: The hook which draws and returns the new loop.
Butt: Butt of latch needle enables the needle to be reciprocated.
Latch blade: This latch blade locates the latch in the needle.
Stem: The stem of latch needle carries the loop in the clearing on rest position.
Rivet: The rivet which may be plain or threaded. This has been dispensed with on most plated metal
needles by pinching the slot walls to retain the latch blades.
Latch spoon: The latch spoon is an extension of blade and bridges the gap between the hook and
stem.
Tail: The tail is an extension below the butt giving additional support to the needle and keeping the
needle in its trick.
1.Most widely used in weft knitting. More expensive needle than the
bearded needle. Self acting or loop controlled. Work at any angle.
2.Needle depth determines the loop length.
3.Variation of the height of reciprocating produces knit, tuck or miss
stitch.

18. Spencer. David. J., Knitting Technology, A comprehensive handbook and practical guide, Woodland
Publishing Ltd, New Delhi
Ray, Chandra Sadhan, Fundamentals and Advances in knitting Technology, WoodheadPublicating
India Pvt. Ltd
https://vasantkothari.com/content/view_presentation/68/02-Basic-Terminologies-for-Fabric-Knitting
https://arnecarlos.com/how-to-knit-a-pair-of-gloves-with-fingers/
https://www.slideshare.net/ormee11/basic-informartion-of-knitting
https://hasani.iut.ac.ir/sites/hasani.iut.ac.ir/files//file_basepage/fundamentals_of_knitting.pdf
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Rundstrickmaschine_Zungennadeln.jpg
https://textilestudycenter.com/knitting-terms-and-definition/
https://textilestudycenter.com/fundamentals-warp-knitting/
https://www.teaandcrafting.co.uk/products/sock-knitting-workshop
References