Knitted Fabrics
Knitted fabrics are textiles formed by bending yarns into loops with knitting needles and interlooping them with one another. They are classified into weft-knitted fabrics and warp-knitted fabrics.
1. Weft-Knitted Fabrics
Weft-knitted fabrics are, first and foremost, knitted widthwise. They are formed from one continuous yarn that is consecutively worked into loops.
Weft-knitted fabrics are easier to manufacture, but they are also more prone to unraveling at the edges during cutting.
2. Warp-Knitted Fabrics
Warp-knitted fabrics, by contrast, are generally knitted lengthwise, and their structure is laid out in a zigzag pattern, which allows the loops to form two or more consecutive wales. Compared with weft-knitted fabrics, they are usually smoother and more tightly structured, resulting in lower elasticity and run resistance.
Characteristics of Knitted Fabrics
1. Stretchability.
Knitted fabrics are formed by yarns bent into loops and interlooped with one another; the loops have considerable room for stretch both vertically and horizontally. Consequently, they offer excellent elasticity, fit closely to the body when worn, and are comfortable and convenient, making them well suited to the stretching and bending movements of the body during physical activity.
2. Softness.
The raw materials used for knitted apparel fabrics are bulky, soft yarns with a low twist. The fabric surface bears a fine layer of nap, and the loop-formed structure is loose and porous, which reduces friction between the skin and the fabric surface during wear and imparts a comfortable, gentle feel.
3. Hygroscopicity and Breathability.
Because the loops that constitute knitted fabrics are interlooped, countless isolated air pockets form within the fabric, endowing it with good thermal insulation and breathability. In addition, both plant and animal fibers possess a certain capacity for moisture absorption; cotton fiber, in particular, exhibits excellent hygroscopic performance. Therefore, wearing cotton knit apparel in summer feels relatively cool and free from stuffiness or discomfort.
4. Wrinkle Resistance.
When a knitted fabric is subjected to wrinkling forces, the loops can shift to accommodate the deformation under stress; once the wrinkling force is removed, the displaced yarns can quickly recover and return to their original state.
Common Knitted Fabrics
1. Single Jersey
Jersey is composed of a continuous plain-knit loop structure; the stitches on the face side are clearer than those on the back, making it easy to identify.
The fabric surface is clean and smooth, with clear stitches, a fine and dense texture, and a smooth, cool hand. It exhibits good extensibility in both the lengthwise and widthwise directions, with greater extensibility widthwise than lengthwise. Its hygroscopicity and breathability are good, but it is prone to laddering (unraveling) and edge curling, and may occasionally exhibit skewed stitches.
2.Piqué fabric
Piqué fabric is constructed from a continuous combination of knit stitches and tuck stitches, and includes 4-track single piqué, 6-track piqué, 8-track piqué, twill piqué, sport piqué, and spandex piqué, among others.
↓ 4 Track Piqué
↓ 6 Track Piqué
Its characteristic structure consists, within the same wale, of one consecutive knit stitch followed by two tuck stitches.
3.French Terry / Fleece Fabric
French terry is a type of knitted fabric; after brushing, it is referred to as fleece.This type of knitted fabric is mostly produced using a displaced yarn-laying (feeder-displacement) knitting technique, hence the names "displacement fabric" or "sweatshirt fabric." In some regions it is called loop-knit fabric, and in others fish-scale fabric, and there are many varieties. (Fish-scale fabric is so named because the back of the fabric features terry loops, some of which resemble fish scales.) Its fabric weight generally ranges from 190 GSM to 350 GSM.
4.Rib Knit Fabric
Rib-knitted fabric is a knitted fabric in which a single yarn successively forms wales of loops on both the face and back sides. Rib-knitted fabrics exhibit the laddering, edge-curling, and extensibility characteristics of plain-knit fabrics, while also offering greater elasticity.
1×1 rib looks very similar to plain jersey, but the rib structure is looser, its elasticity is greater, and it generally has no distinct face or back side.
Other rib structures, such as 2×2 and 2×1, are readily distinguished from other fabrics owing to their distinctive structural characteristics.
5.Ponte Roma Fabric
Ponte Roma is a type of knitted fabric—weft-knitted and produced on a double-knit circular knitting machine. It is also called ponte-de-roma, and is commonly known by the Cantonese trade name "daji fabric." Ponte Roma has a four-feed repeat; its surface is not as smooth as that of ordinary double-knit fabric, bearing slightly faint and somewhat irregular horizontal stripes. The fabric offers good elasticity in both directions, although its widthwise stretch is inferior to that of double-knit fabric, and it has strong hygroscopicity. It is used for making close-fitting garments, being breathable, soft, and comfortable to wear.
Post time: Aug-24-2026