knitwear
Knitted fabrics are textile sheet structures in which a loop formed by a thread is looped into another loop. The stitches created in this way can be formed using one or more threads.
This distinguishes knitted fabrics from woven fabrics, in which the fabric is produced by interlacing two thread systems, and also from nonwovens, in which a loose fibre web is consolidated, for example, by heat.
Compared to woven fabric, knitted fabric is characterised by greater stretch and elasticity and, as a result, less creasing. A distinction is made between weft-knitted (Strickware), warp-knitted (Wirkware), rib-knitted (Rippware) and plain weft-knitted (Kulierware) fabrics.
During production, several stitches are pre-formed simultaneously and worked into loops. In contrast, in the production of weft-knitted fabric, each needle is free and works independently of the others.