Knitting is the formation of a fabric by the interloping of one or more sets of yarns. Knitting has been the traditional method of producing items such as sweaters, underwear, hosiery, and baby blankets. The trend toward a more casual lifestyle is reflected in increased knit furnishings and apparels.
Knitting is probably not as old a technique as weaving. Remnants of knit fabrics dating back to A.D. 250 were found near the borders of ancient Palestine. Knitting was a hand process until 1589, when the Reverend William Lee of England invented a flatbed machine for knitting cloth for hosiery that produced cloth 10 times faster than hand knitting. Circular-knitting and warp-knitting machines were developed about 200 years later. Other devices invented about that time include the ribbing device and the latch needle.
The rate of production of knitting machines is about four times greater than looms because the machine width is not related to operating speeds. The high productivity rate should be an economic factor in favor of knitting, but the increased cost of the yarn more than offsets any savings in production costs. This is because the looped yarn shape imparts bulk and more yarn is required to produce a knit fabric than to produce a comparable woven fabric. Also, the looped structure is porous and provides less cover than a woven fabric that has yarns side by side.
Types of knits include jersey, velour, french terry, hosiery, tricot, and raschel.
