Knitted fabrics are evaluated by the number of stitches or loops. A knitted fabric having 40 loops or stitches in 1 inch of width, and 50 loops in 1 inch of length is said to have 40 wales and 50 courses. Fabrics with more wales are rigid and stable in widthwise direction and shrink less in this direction than fabric with more courses in the lengthwise direction. Fabrics with less number of wales and courses per inch can stretch more fitting to the contour of the body but will be less rigid and has a poor ability to recover from deformation. Knitted fabric is also affected by the quality of needle used. Based on the thickness and the length of needles used from one to the next, the width of the stitch and the length of loop varies. The appearance, texture and performance of the knitted fabric vary according to them.
Participants