Fundamentals of Textile Design 3(2+1)

Lesson 18: Knitting and its types

Terms and definitions used in knitting

Stitch

The loop formed at each needle; the basic unit of knit fabric structure.

Course

A horizontal row of successive loops, comparable to the filling yarns of woven fabrics.

Wale

A vertical row (or column) of loops produced by an individual needle. Wales run parallel to the longer dimension of knit fabric and indicate the machine direction of the fabric; they are comparable to the warp yarns of woven fabrics.

Count

The total number of wales and courses in a square inch of knitted fabric.

Guage / cut

The number of needles (or stitches) per unit width on the machine. Fineness or coarseness of the fabric is determined this way. It is usually expressed as needles per inch or needles per centimeter. The higher the gauge or cut the finer is the fabric.

Warp knit

A knitted fabric in which the yarn producing the loops in the fabric is carried through the length of the fabric, that is in the lengthwise or warp direction.

Weft knit

A knitted fabric in which the yarn producing the loops in the fabric is carried across the width of the fabric, that is in the crosswise or weft direction.