Unit 1: Knitting fundamentals
Introduction to Knitting notes · PTU syllabus (BSTD 402-20)
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Unit summary
Knitting makes fabric by interlooping yarn, and it dominates T-shirts, sportswear and innerwear. This unit covers the knitting industry, key terminology, types of needles, and the construction of knit, purl, miss and tuck stitches.
After this unit you can
- Describe the knitting industry
- Use knitting terminology correctly
- Compare latch, bearded and compound needles
- Describe the four basic stitches
PTU syllabus topics
- Introduction to the knitting industry
- key knitting terminology
- types of needles
- types and construction of knitting stitches — plain
- purl
- miss and tuck stitch
Knit (plain)
New loop drawn through to the front
Smooth V face
Purl
Loop drawn through to the back
Bumpy face
Tuck
Yarn held without knitting off
Raised texture, wider fabric
Miss (float)
Needle skips the yarn
Floats on the back, narrower
Topic 1
The knitting industry
- Knitting forms fabric by interlocking loops of yarn. Two branches: weft knitting (loops formed across the width from one yarn — circular and flat machines) and warp knitting (loops formed along the length from many warp yarns — tricot and Raschel).
- India: Tiruppur (cotton knitwear exports), Ludhiana (woollen and winter knitwear, hosiery), Kolkata (innerwear), Delhi NCR and Mumbai. Products: T-shirts, polo shirts, sweaters, socks, innerwear, sportswear, technical knits.
Topic 2
Knitting terminology
- Course
- Horizontal row of loops across the width
- Wale
- Vertical column of loops along the length
- Stitch density
- Courses per cm × wales per cm
- Gauge
- Needles per inch on the machine — finer gauge, finer fabric
- Loop length
- Length of yarn in one loop — controls fabric weight and tightness
- Technical face and back
- Face shows V-shaped loops; back shows semicircular loops
- Needle loop and sinker loop
- Top and bottom parts of a knitted loop
Topic 3
Types of needles
Latch needle
Hook and pivoting latch; self-acting
Most weft knitting machines — circular and flat
Bearded (spring) needle
Long flexible beard pressed closed by a presser
Fine-gauge full-fashioned and some warp knitting machines
Compound needle
Hook and separate sliding closing element
High-speed warp knitting (tricot)
- 1
Rest position
- 2
Clearing — needle rises; old loop slides below the latch
- 3
Yarn feeding — new yarn laid in the hook
- 4
Latch closing — old loop pushes the latch shut
- 5
Knocking over — old loop cast off over the new one
- 6
Loop formation — new loop drawn to the set length
Topic 4
Basic stitches
Knit (plain) stitch
New loop pulled through the old loop to the technical face
Basis of jersey
Purl stitch
Loop pulled through to the back
Used in purl fabrics; looks like back of jersey on both sides
Miss (float) stitch
Needle does not receive yarn; yarn floats behind
Colour patterns (jacquard), reduces width and stretch
Tuck stitch
Needle takes yarn but does not knock over; held loop
Texture (piqué, honeycomb), wider and thicker fabric
Key terms
- Weft knitting
- Loops formed across the width by one yarn
- Warp knitting
- Loops formed along the length by many yarns
- Wale
- Vertical column of loops
- Gauge
- Number of needles per inch
- Tuck stitch
- Loop held without knocking over
Quick revision
- Weft vs warp knitting; Indian centres including Ludhiana.
- Course, wale, density, gauge, loop length, face and back.
- Latch, bearded, compound needles; latch needle cycle.
- Knit, purl, miss, tuck stitches.
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.Distinguish course and wale.
- Q2.What is machine gauge?
- Q3.Name the parts of a latch needle.
- Q4.Describe the knocking-over step.
- Q5.What is a miss stitch?
- Q6.How does a tuck stitch change fabric?
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Explain the knitting terminology.
- Q2.Describe the types of knitting needles and the action of a latch needle.
- Q3.Explain the four basic stitches and their effects.
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