Warp-knitted spacer fabrics – the best way of catching a fairytale prince

Spacer textiles produced on the RD 4 for wearing next to the skin

This cloak could turn every

woman into a princess and
every frog into a prince
– all it needs is a kiss to
set the wearer free from
this slippery mantle. The
fabric for this fairytale look
is made from a warp-knitted
spacer fabric, which is not
only wonderfully soft and
airy, it is also extremely
practical to wear. The layer
of air trapped in the spacer
textile creates a pleasant
climate, whilst the pile yarns
transport moisture to the
surface from where it can
evaporate. This has open
pores, to keep the princess
cool in her quest to turn her
frog into a prince.

The extremely lightweight

fabric, which is roughly 2 mm
thick, can also be draped
very attractively. With this
knitted fabric billowing
and rippling in the wind,
folded to form a hood, and
fastened with a hook-and-
loop fastener, the result is
a wild and passionate look.
The crowing glory of this
outfit comes in the shape of
discreet gold printing, which
runs down the hood and
sleeves. More information
on the production and
characteristics of this fabric
can be found in the pattern
section of this issue, under
pattern no. 12/2006.
Vision: from a cloak to a
cover This textile lends
itself to daytime wear, but
is perfect for use as bed-
covers at night. In general,
the covers on the bed play
major role in guaranteeing a
relaxing night’s sleep, which
means that they must be
comfortable above all
else. Every person has a
different notion of comfort,
and it is always evaluated
subjectively, but certain
physiological aspects are
‘written in stone’, and one of
these is the need to maintain
a comfortable environment
in terms of heat and cold.
Spacer textiles are perfect for
meeting this requirement,

Technical Information for the textile industry - www.texdata.com - July 2006

Warp-knitted spacer fabrics – the best way of catching a fairytale prince
Spacer textiles produced on the RD 4 for wearing next to the skin
since they are made up
of two cover faces with a
layer of circulating air in-
between, which acts as an
insulator. Compared to the
down-filled types, no clumps
or cold bridges through the
thin zones are formed.
The entire surface of the
sandwich construction is
dimensionally stable in the
long term and does not move
about. If this voluminous
textile with its low density
is still not warmth enough
for some people, it can also
be used as a multilayer
system, without being too
heavy – and it may also be
produced with varying gaps
for optimum management of
the climatic conditions. In this
case, the main parameters
that can be modified are the
thickness of the material and
the design of the surfaces.
These may have open
or closed constructions,
and yarns having different
counts, constructions, cross-
sections and functional
characteristics may also be
used. For example, textured
yarns increase the fleecy
Technical Information for the textile industry - www.texdata.com - July 2006
effect and optimise the initial
perception of warmth during
the winter, antibacterial fibres
or silver coatings promote
good hygiene in the bed,
and fibres having different
moisture-transporting and
buffering effects keep
the sleeping person dry.
Another advantage in terms
of moisture management is
that the knitted construction
gives the spacer textile a
high level of breathability.
In addition to its functional
properties the appearance
of the spacer textile can
also be varied, i.e. during
the knitting process, specific
zones, patterns or stitched
effects can be worked by
the EL control facility or the
jacquard bar. The resulting
segmented construction
affects how easy it is to store
the bedding in beddingboxes
or cupboards, as well as the
draping properties of the
textile. This drapes gently
and feels soft to the touch,
and these characteristics
can be varied extensively.
The spacer textile can be
produced in a variety of
sizes to snugly envelop any
size of body, and creates
a pleasant feeling of well-
being for long periods at a
time. This 3D fabric resists
tearing and is also resistant
to light and sunlight; it can
be laundered in a domestic
washing machine at 95°C
and dries very quickly after
washing. So not only does
the spacer textile put the fun
into that magical kiss, it also
provides comfort for what is
to follow...
Kontakt:
Ulrike Schlenker
KARL MAYER Textilmaschinen-
fabrik GmbH
Brühlstrafle 25
63179 Obertshausen
Tel: 06104/402-274
Fax: 06104/402-73-274
mail: uschlenker@karlmayer.de
www.karlmayer.de