INTRODUCTION TO KNITWEAR TRAINING MANUAL 2 3 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 4 1. Benefits of Merino Wool in Knitwear 5 2. Australian Merino Wool 5 3. Processing Pipeline 6 4. Woollen Processing 6 5. Worsted Processing 6 6. Yarn Selection 7 7. Twist 8 8. Contamination 8 9. Strength and Elasticity 9 10. Dye Fastness 9 11. Fibre Diameter 9 12. Surface Friction 10 13. Knots 10 14. Knitting 11 15. Making up 13 16. Finishing 13 17. Summary 15 4 The Woolmark logo is one of the world’s most recognisable textile symbols, and for most people it indicates thatThis a product short bearing reviewthe mark is made aims from 100 to per brieflycent Pure New cover Wool. These some products meet of key theperformance technical standards – providing aspects confidence which to consumers must that a quality be product considered is being bought. The Woolmark logo was designed by Italian graphic artist Francesco Saroglia and was launched in 1964 in the whenUSA, Western producing Europe and Japan. Since quality then it has beenMerino promoted and wool used on knitwear.end products in more than 100 countries across the globe. It begins with wool production in Australia and follows the processing route from yarn through to fabric. Particular attention is given to yarn selection, which is paramount to a quality knitwear product, along with the relationship between yarn and knitting machines. Wool knitwear requires slightly different finishing procedures to other fibres and these will also be covered. 5 01 BENEFITS OF MERINO IN KNITWEAR NATURAL FIBRE CRIMP SOFTNESS Merino wool is the natural fibre Merino wool is naturally crimped Australian Merino sheep are choice, made of a protein called allowing for bulky yet light fabrics. renowned for producing the finest keratin, the same protein as human wool. This fineness is the reason hair. RESILIENCE Merino wool garments have superior Merino wool fibres will return to handle and superb drape. BIODEGRADABLE their original state when bent or Under the right conditions Merino stretched, ensuring garments COMFORT wool fibre takes only a few years to retain their shape during wear Merino wool has the ability to respond decompose. and laundering. to changes in temperature and humidity. The hygroscopic core of the RENEWABLE wool fibre has the capacity to absorb Every year Australian Merino sheep up to 35% of its own weight in moisture produce a new fleece, which can be (vapour) allowing humidity to move removed without harm to the animal. away from the body and evaporate. 02 AUSTRALIAN MERINO WOOL The Australian Merino sheep derives Felting is the locking together of washable product is required there its name and basic appearance from individual fibres during severe are a range of processes which the famed Royal Merino flocks of Spain, mechanical action (such as washing). change the surface of the fibre so that having been introduced to Australia by felting does not occur. Importantly European settlers over 200 years ago. This fibre entanglement is these processes do not significantly irreversible; however if a machine- affect the handle of wool. Australia is the world’s largest producer of Merino wool. In 2010/11 Australia’s 70 million sheep produced 345 mkgs of wool. The Australian wool clip is particularly suited to use in apparel, with 54% of annual production in 2010/11 being less than 20.6 micron. The finer the wool’s diameter, the softer and more crimped it becomes. Crimp, the wave in the wool staple, contributes to the bulk and the lightness of wool knitting yarns. Examination of a wool fibre under a microscope shows the scale NORMAL WOOL FIBRE TREATED WOOL FIBRE structure which contributes to wool’s performance qualities; for instance, Micron (μm) is a measure of diameter equal to 1 millionth of a metre or 0.04 thousands of an these scales are the cause of felting. inch; human hair is on average 45μm. 6 03 PROCESSING PIPELINE The first step in creating yarn is WOOLLEN ROUTE WORSTED ROUTE to scour the greasy wool, this is Is shorter and used for heavier Is typically used for finer counts essentially washing the wool in counts of yarn. In this case, fibres of yarn. In this case the fibres are warm water to remove dirt and are randomly distributed in the yarn parallel to each other. grease. The scoured and dried wool and are shorter than those used in a is then ready to process by one of worsted yarn. two possible routes: 04 WOOLLEN PROCESSING Scoured wool is disentangled in a of fibres which sticks to each tape strand may be suitable for weaving card; the fibres are separated out by is rubbed in the condenser to make but not generally for knitwear as a series of pinned rollers moving at a delicate twistless strand called a it must be two-fold. This means different relative speeds. The opened slubbing. Strength is added to the twisting together two yarns using out wool fibres are stripped off the last slubbing by spinning. opposite twist so that the yarn of these rollers to make a thin web of is balanced and doesn’t snarl or fibre. This web is then split into strips Spinning draws out and twists the twist, which leads to skewing of the by a series of tapes. The fine ribbon wool to make a yarn. This single knitted fabric. 05 WORSTED PROCESSING Worsted processing shares common spinning is then drawing out of the steps with woollen processing, top to make a small package of fine YARN QUALITIES however the transformation route sliver known as a roving. This is the WOOLLEN WORSTED is longer. Scoured wool is carded in equivalent to the slubbing produced in a similar way to the woollen route, the woollen route and has taken more Shorter fibre Longer fibre however it is removed from the card steps to achieve. length length not as individual twistless slubbing but as a single thick sliver of parallel During spinning, the roving is drawn Random fibre Parallel fibre distribution distribution fibres. The next stage is a repeated out to about 20 times its original sequence of gilling in which a number length and twist is inserted to produce Bulky yarns Smooth yarns of different slivers are blended and a fine worsted yarn. Any large knots then drawn out to increase the are then removed and replaced by Coarse to medium Medium to fine regularity. Combing, a similar process, fine splices before winding onto large yarn counts yarn counts is the next stage, in which the shorter packages. As with woollen yarns, Wet or steam Wet finished fibres are removed to be processed worsted yarns destined for knitwear finished knitwear as noil. The resulting combed sliver is are generally two-fold. knitwear known as top. The final stage before 7 06 YARN SELECTION There are many factors which a knitter should take into account when selecting the right yarn for the end product. YARN COUNT (Nm) Depending on the machine gauge and fabric structure. MACHINE TYPE GAUGE YARN COUNT (Nm) 9 9/2 - 12/2 12 12/2 - 17/2 STRAIGHT BAR FULLY 15 13/2 - 20/2 FASHIONED 18 20/2 - 28/2 (gauge is needles per 1.5 inches) 21 22/2 - 32/2 24 28/2 - 36/2 27 32/2 - 40/2 3 2/2 - 4/2 5 4/2 - 9/2 7 10/2 - 14/2 8 12/2 - 17/2 V-BED FULLY FASHIONED 10 20/2 - 24/2 (gauge is needles per 1 inch) 12 24/2 - 32/2 14 28/2 - 36/2 16 36/2 - 48/2 18 44/2 - 60/2 8 17/2 - 24/2 10 22/2 - 36/2 12 28/2 - 40/2 14 32/2 - 48/2 SINGLE JERSEY CUT & SEW 18 40/2 - 30/1 (gauge is needles per 1 inch) 20 48/2 - 32/1 22 28/1 - 36/1 24 32/1 - 40/1 26 36/1 - 44/1 28 48/1 - 55/1 8 WORSTED OR WOOLLEN by steaming only, however it is • Balance twist Which one of the two basic yarn generally better to give a light wet • Count and twist regularity types that is selected will depend on finish which has the advantage of • Correct mean fibre length the end product required. Woollen improving fabric bulk and softness. • Correct fibre diameter and yarns produce products that need distribution for the count wet finishing after knitting in order COLOURED OR UNCOLOURED • Consistent and appropiate to remove the lubricants used in Depending on whether the end strength and extensibility carding and create the characteristic product is to be piece dyed. • Low yarn to metal surface friction bulk. Worsted yarns produce smooth • Freedom from contamination compact fabrics. If the yarn and Once these decisions have been • Good dye fastness knitting conditions are clean it can be made it is essential that the yarn • Free of knots possible to finish worsted garments selected has the following attributes: 07 TWIST A knitting yarn normally has lower balanced twist, knitwear yarns are twist than a weaving yarn so that it nearly always two-folded. can produce a soft bulky product, however this twist must be balanced. By twisting together two single yarns If the yarn snarls or untwists it will in the reverse direction to the spinning Z+Z ›S cause spirality or skewing in the twist and at about 60% of the spinning knitted fabric. In order to achieve twist, the yarn should be balanced. 08 CONTAMINATION Contamination can be a problem as stage is not done properly VM will SYNTHETIC FIBRES the contaminant may dye differently be seen as brown flecks in the yarn If present might not take the dye from the yarn.