Knitting is the construction of the elastic, porous fabric, created by interlocking yarns by means of needles. Knitted fabrics can be made much more quickly and easily than woven fabrics at comparatively less cost. It is generally light in weight, comfortable in wear even during travel. Also, knitted fabrics are used for designing active clothing such as sports clothing. The tendency of knits to resist wrinkling is another factor to boost up their popularity. In this article, we’ll talk about the different types of knit fabrics.
What Are the Types of Knit Fabrics?
There are two main ways of manufacturing knit fabrics: warp knitting (vertical set of yarns) and weft knitting (horizontal set of yarns).
Here are the most popular types of knitted fabrics:
Jersey Knit Fabric: a single knit fabric, made of natural (cotton, wool, viscose, linen, silk) or synthetic fibers. The main advantages of jersey knit fabric are versatility, wrinkle resistance, durability, softness and elasticity.
Purl Knit Fabric: Purl Knit Fabrics look the same on both sides of the fabric. Many attractive patterns and designs can be created with the purl stitch. It is often used in the manufacture of bulky sweaters and children’s clothing.
Rib Stitch Knit Fabric: Rib Stitch Knits have stitches drawn to both sides of the fabric, which produces columns of wales on both the front and back of the fabric. Rib stitch produces fabrics that have excellent elasticity.
Interlock Stitch Knit Fabric: Interlock stitch Knits are variations of rib stitch knits. The front and back of interlocks are the same. These fabrics are usually heavier and thicker than regular rib knit fabrics unless used with finer yarns.
Double Knit Fabric: this fabric is made from the interlock stitches and its variations. The process involves the use of two pairs of needles set at an angle to each other. Fibers that are generally used to make double knits are polyester and wool. Double knits are weft knitted fabrics made with two sets of needle beds. The fabric structure is more stable and compact.
Pointelle Knit Fabric: it’s a type of double knit fabric. The fabric has patterned miss stitches. The fabric has looked like lace, with holes made by these transferred stitches. The feminine look of the fabric makes it ideal for women’s tops and kids wear.
Intarsia Knit Fabric: Intarsia is patterned single knit fabric. It is made of knitting multi-colored yarns. The fabric has the same course knitted in different colors with different yarns. It has colored designs as blocks distributed in different color backgrounds.
You can also read: Artisan knitting vs Industrial knitting
Jacquard Knit Fabric: Jacquard Jerseys are single jersey fabrics made of Circular Knitting machines using Jacquard mechanism. They are the simplest method of making patterned fabrics.
Knitted Terry Fabric: Knitted Terry is pile jersey fabric made with a special attachment in regular circular knitting machines similar to woven fabrics. The fabric has loops on the fabric surface. Knit terry is softer, more flexible and is more comfortable than woven terry fabrics.
Knitted Velour Fabric: Knitted Velour are Pile jersey fabrics having soft protruding fibers on the fabric surface. They are used in luxurious apparels like jackets, blouses, dresses etc.
Sliver Knit Fabric: Sliver knit fabric is characterized by a longer pile on the fabric surface. Sliver knit fabrics have longer and denser piles on the fabric surface than other pile jerseys. Animal printed sliver knit fabrics are popularly used as imitation fur fabrics.
Fleece Knit Fabric: Fleece is a type of weft insertion jersey. Weft insertion fabrics are weft knitted fabrics in which an additional yarn is inserted for each course. It provides stability, cover, and comfort.
Hope you enjoyed this article! Here at Knit-Lab Peru we are committed to offer premium quality products that combine modern technology with ancestral tradition. Contact us if you want to learn more or work with us.
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