The needle loop
VASANT R KOTHARI The upper part of the loop produced by
has done Master’s in Textiles
Technology from DKTE’s
Textile and Engineering
Institute, Ichalkaranji (Shivaji
University, Kolhapur),
Maharashtra. He has also
done Diploma in Export
Management (Apparel Export)
from the Indian Institute of
Export Management, and
Garment Export and
Merchandising Management
from NIFT, Bangalore.
Presently, he’s working as an
Assistant Professor in
Department of Fashion
Technology, NIFT, Bangalore.
(This is his seventh input from
the series of articles in
Knitting Views)
22/KNITTING VIEWS/JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011
the needle drawing the yarn is called the
needle loop. It is the basic unit of a knitted
structure. Each stitch or knitted loop
consists of a top arc (head), two legs and
two bottom half-arcs (feet).
At the base of each leg is a foot, which
meshes through the head of the loop
formed at the previous knitting cycle,
usually by that needle. The yarn passes
from the foot of one loop into the foot and
leg of the next loop formed by it.
The sinker loop
The lower part of the knitted loop is
technically referred as sinker loop. It is the
piece of yarn that joins one weft-knitted
needle loop to the next. On bearded needle
weft knitting machines, loop-forming
sinkers form the sinker loops in
succession between the needles – hence Fig 5.1: Components of needle loop
the origin of the term sinker loop. On latch
needle weft knitting machines, however,
the sinker loops are automatically formed
as the needles, in succession, draw their
new loops.
Fig 5.2: Intermeshing points of a needle loop
Needle Loop
Sinker Loop
Fig 5.3: Needle loop and sinker loop
Face loop
During loop formation, when the new loop
emerges through the old loop from back
to the face (or front) side, it is called as
face loop or weft knit loop.
Face Loop Back Loop
Fig 5.4: Face loop and back loop
Back loop
If the new loop passes from the face side
to the back side of old loop, it is called as
back loop or weft purl loop.
The knitted stitch
The knitted stitch is the basic unit of
intermeshing which usually consists of
three or more intermeshed needle loops.
The centre loop has been drawn through
Fig 5.7: Face side of plain knitted fabric
Fig 5.5: The knitted stitch
the head of the lower previously-formed
loop and is, in turn, intermeshed through
its head by the loop above it.
The repeat unit of a stitch is the minimum
repeat of intermeshed loops that can be
placed adjoining other repeat units in
order to build up an unbroken sequence
in width and depth Fig 5.8: Back side of plain knitted fabric
For a stitch, depending on the position of
the legs at the binding points, a technical
back and a technical front side is defined.
Face
The technical back of a stitch The technical front of a stitch
Fig 5.6
Technical face
The side of knitted fabric that consists all
Back
of face or knit loops, is called as technical
face of the fabric. It is the front side of fabric. Fig 5.9: Technical face and back of single
jersey fabric
Technical back
The side of knitted fabric having full of back Knitting notations
or purl loops, is called as the technical back A knitting notation is a simple, easily-
of the fabric. It is the back side of the fabric. understood, symbolic representation of
KNITTING VIEWS/JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011/ 23
a knitting repeat sequence and its resultant Basically two methods are recognised for Graph paper
fabric structure that eliminates the need knitting notations: This method is developed by the Leicester
for time-consuming and possibly 1. Point paper 2. Graph paper School of Textiles for weft knitting only.
confusing sketches and written In this method each square represents a
Point paper
descriptions. needle or stitch. An ‘X’ symbol is placed
Each point represents a needle in plain view
in a square where a face stitch occurs and
from above and, after the thread path has
New Loop an ‘O’ where there is a reverse stitch
been drawn, it also represents its stitch. Each
horizontal row of points thus represents
Face loop adjacent needles during the same knitting
stitch and cycle and the course produced by them. The
notation lowest row of points represents the starting
course in knitting.

Old loop

Fig 5.10

New Loop

Reverse
loop stitch
and
notation

Fig 5.12: Graph paper notations of various

Old loop knitting designs

www.vasantkothari.com
Fig 5.12: Point paper notations of various
Fig 5.11 knitting designs

24/KNITTING VIEWS/JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011