A Brief History
In the clothing industry, many pieces are knitted. You might quickly think of a lambswool jumper. But that isn't necessarily the case, because there are various knitting machines, each with their own qualities. Below you can read a little about the circular and the flat knitting machine. But how did knitting actually come about? Knitting is a centuries-old technique used all over the world. In the past, knitting was called nålbinding and resembled crochet more closely. The only difference was that it was done with different needles than crochet. It is said that knitting probably originated in Egypt, and the first things to be knitted were socks. The first knitting machine was only invented much later, namely in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was only in the 19th century that knitting was also done in factories for large-scale clothing production.
Different machines
There are various machines you can use to create a knit. This article tells you a little about the most common machines: the flat knitting machines and circular knitting machines.
Flat knitting machine
With a flat knitting machine, the needles can be controlled individually. This makes it possible to work in patterns. A flat knitting machine is mainly used to make jumpers and cardigans. A major advantage of knitting is that no fabric is wasted, because the machine works directly in the correct shape. Jumpers and cardigans in particular are produced with a flat knitting machine. Some knitting machines can even turn several panels at once into a garment.
Circular knitting machine
This machine is the most widely used in production worldwide. With a circular knitting machine, you can work with various fabrics. Among other things, you can make underwear and outerwear with it, but also nylon items such as stockings and socks. Nowadays, however, jumpers and trousers are made with it too. For producing socks, a circular knitting machine is very handy, because you can selectively stop needles so that you can knit the heel, for example. Circular knitting is actually a technique in which several knitting needles without a head, or two circular needles, are used to knit in the round. Once the stitches have been cast on, they are joined together so that a kind of tube is created, instead of the flat piece that results from the ordinary knitting technique.
Types of stitches
- the waffle stitch
- the moss stitch
- the stockinette stitch
- the honeycomb
- the cable stitch
Stitch Guide
With knitting, you can vary endlessly with types of stitches. Each stitch gives the garment a different look. The waffle stitch is one of those types. This stitch gets its name because it really gives the fabric a waffle effect. It is actually a kind of ribbing stitch and therefore draws in a little. The nicest thing with this technique is to use a few more stitches, because otherwise you have to stretch the little blocks out a bit more. You can use this technique when making a pullover or a scarf. But blankets are also often made with the waffle stitch.
Then the moss stitch. This technique is created by alternating knit and purl stitches. The stitches are not knitted directly above one another, but offset. This stitch is mainly used to knit jumpers, because it gives the fabric a nice relief.
Another very popular knitting technique is the stockinette stitch. This stitch is fairly simple because the yarn can stay on one side of the needle. The front has a V-shaped pattern and the back a ribbed pattern. This is because the front is put together with knit stitches and the back with purl stitches. This is what creates the stockinette pattern; this stitch can also be made with a circular knitting machine. Most garments made with this stitch are jumpers and cardigans.
To give information about even more knitting techniques, I will also explain what the honeycomb and the cable stitch are, because these stitches also occur regularly.
With the honeycomb, a kind of diamond pattern is created, which is lovely for jumpers, for example. The honeycomb looks very much like the stockinette stitch; the only difference is that the loops in the middle go the wrong way, so that diamonds are created instead of little V shapes. The technique gets its name because the diamonds that form in the pattern look a little like a honeycomb.
Finally, the cable stitch. With this technique, it looks as though cables run through the fabric, hence the name. A cable pattern is quite a tricky technique because you need a cable needle. You start the stitch with 4 stitches that you slip off the left needle and place on the cable needle. These stitches are then knitted from the cable needle, after which a few stitches are simply knitted on as normal. And that is how the cable stitch is created. This technique is used most often for jumpers; not only does it look nice, it is also stronger because the knit is thicker. It is also a lot warmer, because the stitches sit closely together.
Benefits of knitting
When we look at the knits and products that Suitable has in its collection, you'll see that there are mainly a lot of stockinette-stitch knits. It is the simplest way of knitting, and the cotton jumpers in particular are not tied to a season. The moss stitch is a popular little brother of the stockinette stitch, and a type of knit we often come across in the jumpers. It is just a little more fashionable and gives the product a casual character.
