Fabric Definitions — definitions of fabrics, cloths, laces and textile materials from Apparel Search
Knitting is one of several ways to turn thread or yarn into cloth, alongside weaving and crochet. Unlike woven fabric, knitted fabric consists entirely of parallel courses of yarn, the courses joined by interlocking loops in which a short loop of one course is wrapped over the bight of another. Work proceeds in rows back and forth, or in the round, and can be done by hand or by machines.
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Knitting is one of several ways to turn
thread or
yarn into
cloth (cf
weaving,
crochet). Unlike woven
fabric, knitted
fabric consists entirely
of parallel courses of yarn. The courses are joined to each
other by interlocking loops in which a short loop of one
course of yarn is wrapped over the
bight of another course. In practice, knitting is usually
begun (or "cast on") by forming a base series
of twisted loops of yarn on a
knitting needle. A second
knitting needle is then used to reach through each loop
(or stitch) in succession in order to snag a bight of yarn
and pull a length back through the loop. This forms a new
stitch at the top of the current wale of stitches (or loops).
Work can proceed in the round (circular
knitting) or by going back and forth in rows.
Knitting can also be done by
machines.
Originally a male-only occupation, the first knitting trade guild was started in Paris in 1527. Knitting became a household occupation with the growing popularity of knitted stockings and by the end of the 1600s, one to two million pairs of stockings were exported from Britain to other parts of Europe.
The two basic stitches are knit (or "plain") and purl (or "wrong"). These two nominal stitches are actually identical, however, being the obverse and reverse of the same stitch. A knit stitch is formed by inserting the needle in the back of the loop and pulling a loop of yarn through to form a new loop, while a purl stitch is formed by inserting the needle in the front of the loop and pushing a loop of yarn through to form a new loop.
If only knits or only purls are used when working back and forth in rows, the result is called garter stitch. Alternating rows of knits and purls result in stockinette or jersey stitch, the stitch most often used in commercial garments such as T-shirts. Different combinations of stitches can be used to form ribbing, cables, or other textures. Complex patterns can be formed by knitting with multiple colors in either intarsia or Fair Isle techniques.
There are many regional styles of knitted garments with long histories, such as guernsey sweaters, jerseys, Aran sweaters, and Fair Isle patterning.
Learn about cable knits in our apparel industry terminology section.
These are discussed in the history of knitting.
Types of knitting needles include double-point, straight, and circular.
Learn more about fabric.
Learn about knit fabrics.
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Textures From Two StitchesKnitting entire texture vocabulary is arithmetic on two stitches. Knit and purl present opposite faces, so arranging them in blocks and lines produces ribbing — alternating columns that pull in and stretch out, used at cuffs and waistbands — seed and moss patterns, and the raised motifs of textured sweaters. Crossing stitches over each other produces cables, the rope patterns of Aran sweaters; passing stitches without working them, or working yarn-overs that leave deliberate holes, produces lace knitting; adding or dropping stitches shapes the fabric to a body without seams. Color follows the same logic by two main methods the definition names: intarsia, where separate balls supply separate color blocks, and Fair Isle technique, where two colors travel across a row and the unused color floats behind the work. Regional styles — guernsey sweaters, jerseys, Aran patterning, Fair Isle yokes — are fixed combinations of these moves with local yarns, which is why the definition lists them as styles of one craft rather than separate crafts. Hand, Machine and the Loop PrincipleNothing about the loop principle changes when a machine takes over: machine needles still draw a new bight through each old loop, course by course, whether the machine is a domestic frame, a circular hosiery machine or an industrial flat-bed producing whole garments. What machinery changed was scale and consistency — the definition notes knitting move from a male-only trade with its first Paris guild in 1527, to a household occupation as knitted stockings spread, to exports of one to two million pairs of stockings from Britain by the end of the 1600s. Needle choice follows work type — straight needles for flat pieces, double-pointed and circular needles for work in the round — but the fabric test is constant: pull a knit and the loops deform and recover; cut it and loops can ladder; examine an edge and the interlocked courses explain both behaviors. Knitting is defined by that loop structure wherever it is found. Common QuestionsWhat is the difference between knit and purl stitches?They are the obverse and reverse of the same stitch. A knit stitch is formed by inserting the needle in the back of the loop and pulling a loop of yarn through; a purl stitch by inserting the needle in the front and pushing a loop through. Used alone in flat work each gives garter stitch; alternating rows of knit and purl give stockinette, the jersey stitch of most commercial garments such as T-shirts. What do courses and wales mean in knitting?Courses are the horizontal rows of loops — the parallel courses of yarn the definition describes — and wales are the vertical columns of stitches above one another. A new stitch forms at the top of its wale as the knitter works across a course, snagging a bight of yarn through each existing loop in succession. How is knitted fabric different from woven fabric?Structure decides the properties. Woven fabric interlaces two sets of straight threads at right angles and is stable with little stretch; knitted fabric is one yarn looped through itself, and the loops yield, giving knits their stretch, recovery and drape — but also their tendency to curl at edges and to run if a loop breaks. More to ExploreMore from Apparel Search: Fabric Definitions | Clothing Industry Glossary | Fashion Terms | Apparel Search Home
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