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KNIT FABRIC
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FABRIC STRUCTURES
All knitted fabric is based on one of three basic structures.
Whatever stitch is used or decorative pattern designed
the fabric structure will be either
plain fabric, rib fabric
or purl fabric.
PLAIN FABRIC
Plain fabric is also known as stocking stitch, stockinette or jersey.
Each side of the fabric is different,
one face having knit stitches,
the other, purl stitches.
- The front face or knit side,
has a smooth surface with each stitch having a 'V' shape
- The reverse face (purl side),
is more textured with small loops forming horizotal ridges
Either face can be used as the effect face (outer-side) of the work.
One of the main charactoristics of plain knit
is that the edges of the fabric curl vigorously.
The top and bottom edges curl towards the knit-stitch face.
The side edges curl towards the purl-stitch face
RIB FABRIC
A rib fabric is defined as a fabric in which all the loops in any individual wale are either knit or purl,
it cannot have both in the same wale.
The fabric is the same on both sides,
therefore it is a balanced fabric which is stable.
Rib fabric lies flat without edge curl.
The main charactoristic of rib fabric is it's horizontal extensibility.
The rib structure causes the fabric to concertina and pull in,
with the result that stitch for stitch a rib fabric has a narrower width than a plain fabric,
but can extend to the same width as the plain fabric.
Rib structures are good for welts and close fitting garments.
They can be composed of any combination of knit or purl wales
1x1, 2x2, 2x3 and so on.
Any combination containing '1' is known as a simple rib.
Any combination without '1', for example 5x5, is called a broad rib.
PURL FABRIC
A purl fabric is defined as a fabric in which some or all wales have both knit and purl stitches.
Garter stitch is the simplest purl fabric.
Garter stitch fabric is balanced and stable, the edges do not curl.
The main charactoristic of garter fabric is it's vertical extensibility.
Garter stitch may well be the easiest stitch to hand knit
but inspite of being defined as a simple structure,
it is one the most difficult structures to knit by machine.
Traditionally purl fabrics are knitted on specialist purl-knitting machines.
Other purl fabrics include moss stitch or seed stitch, and basket stitch in all it's varieties.
Click on 'next page' for a glossary of knit terms
