Shape Formation (Fashioning) in Knitting

What is Fashioning in Knitting?

Shape formation or fashioning in knitting is a technique used to create three-dimensional or contoured shapes in knitted fabrics. Shaping by fully fashioning involves the movement of a small number of loops at the selvedge of the fabric. Such movement reduces or increases the total number of loops being knitted. The terms used in the industry for such movements are narrowing and widening, and collectively fashioning. Shaping or wale fashioning is the normal manner of shaping (symmetrically or asymmetrically) on straight bar frames.

Shape Formation or Fashioning can also be achieved by needle-to-needle rib loop transfer, racking one bed, and transferring back to the original needle bed, but this technique requires receiving needles to be empty of loops.

To alter the shape of the panel, the courses are widened by increasing the number of knitting needles or narrowed by eliminating needles at the selvedges. The two operations require different knitting procedures.

Shape Formation (Fashioning) in Knitting

Widening in Knitting:

Widening is the process of increasing the width of the knitted fabric produced, by increasing the number of working needles.

To widen the width of a knitted piece, gradually needles are added – thus stitches – at the selvedges. Generally, widening is done needle by needle. Special cases involve two needles at once being put into action. The angle at the widened selvedge depends on the frequency of the widenings in relation to the rows of knitting. Thus, widenings of one needle every two rows of stitches is more rapid than widenings of one needle every four rows.

To increase the width of the piece knitted by a stitch, it is sufficient to add a needle in action at the selvedge. The widening of a rib fabric requires, naturally, 2 supplementary needles, one at the front the other at the back, which is shown in the following figure.

In order to improve the appearance of the selvedges, the widening, on a hand machine, can be done by a narrowing handle. This involves firstly putting a needle into action front and back. Then take the stitch or stitches of the selvedge on a narrowing handle with one or more points, move the handle a needle towards the exterior of the fabric and hook on the stitches to the selvedge needles.

To avoid the formation of small holes, hook up the last but one stitch that has been formed on to the empty needle, by means of the narrowing point or work hook. The above right figure show the sample in 1×1 rib, has been widened as per the method explained now, by means of a 6-point narrowing handle. The widening done in this way takes much longer, but give a more regular appearance to the selvedges.

In widening, the movement outwards creates a space adjacent to the innermost needle of the group, where a new wale may start. The empty space, followed by the tuck loop formed at the next knitted course, leaves a hole in the fabric. It is usual in commercial practice to fill this hole by moving a previously knitted loop to commence the new wale. Such holes restrict the widenings to single needle only.

On flat knitting machines (e.g. V-bed knitting machine) widening can be performed in two ways:

• By putting in action the border needles (one needle on either side, in a loop course) and respectively extending the working range of the yarn carrier;
• By transferring the border loops on the needles just put in action (one needle from either side in a loop course) and extending the working range of the yarn carrier (for one or two needles just put in action, on either side, in a loop course).

Another way of widening is performed as follows:

1. Only one selvedge of the panel can be widened with each stroke of the carriage.
2. When a special twin carriage machine is used, two courses are knitted in each carriage stroke.
3. No transfer operations are required for widening and the course is increased simply by adding new active needles to the panel.
4. The newly activated needles are introduced on the side from which the carriage starts its traverse. When the carriage travels from right to left, needles can be introduced at the right selvedge. In this way, the new loops are secured in the needle’s hook.
5. To complete one cycle of widening on both sides of the panel, the carriage has to travel once in each direction thus knitting four courses.

Narrowing in Knitted Fabrics:

This is the reverse of what takes place in widening i.e. narrowing is the process of lessening the width of knitted fabric produced, by decreasing the number of working knitting needles.

Narrowing by hand are executed by stitch transfer with a narrowing handle. To avoid doubling the last stitch of the selvedge, a narrowing handle with several narrowing points is used. The narrowing handle with several points is used in the same manner as a narrowing handle with one point. The narrowing handle takes as many stitches as there are points, and transfers these one needle towards the center of the piece. The extreme selvedge needle loses its stitch and can be put out of action. The stitch doubled by the narrowing is towards the interior of the piece. The use of a narrowing handle with several points gives the article a highly finished appearance. The selvedge stitches remain parallel. This appearance characterizes narrowed articles, which is shown in the following figure.

On flat knitting machines (e.g. V-bed knitting machine) narrowing can be performed in two ways:

• By putting out of action the bordering needles and casting off their loops; at the same time the working range of the yarn carrier should respectively be decreased;
• By transferring the loops of the needles to be put out of action, on the neighbouring needles, in order to prevent unraveling of the loops; the working range of the yarn carrier should respectively be decreased.

Another way of narrowing is performed as follows:

1. To decrease the size of the course and the width of the panel, needles have to be deactivated at the selvedges. The loops held by these needles cannot be pressed-off (ladders can be formed). Instead, these loops have to be transferred inwards to active needles.
2. Loops cannot be transferred from needle to needle on the same bed. The operation involves the transfer of loops to the opposite bed; racking and then transferring them back to adjacent needles. The procedure is further complicated by the need to transfer in opposite directions at each selvedge.
3. Narrowing of both selvedges can be performed after each stroke of the carriage regardless of its direction. If the panel is symmetrical, identical operations are performed for each selvedge.

Fashioning is not restricted to plain fabric only; rib fabrics are increasingly the subjects of fully fashioning. Particularly suitable for shaping in this way are the cardigan fabrics containing tuck loops and broad ribs.

Shaping Calculation or Fashioning Frequencies Calculation in Knitting:

The measurements for the complete panel are required to calculate the widening / narrowing procedure. The following figure shows the measurements of a front panel as designed for the garment. These measurements are to be used as an example for the planning of the fashioning operation in knitting.

• The panel measurements have to be translated into wales and courses.
• This is carried out according to the course and wale quality of the fabric to be knitted by the knitting machine.
• For this example, the fabric quality is 4 wales per centimeter and 5 courses per centimeter (plain knit on 6 gauge). The converted measurements are presented in the figure also.
• When the garment is produced, the elastic border is knitted first. It can be adapted from the standard programmes in the data bank. As the first fashioning process, the knitting width has to be widened from 160 wales to 180 wales. 20 widening operations are required (180- 160 = 20), or 10 operations on each selvedge of the panel.
• The widening has to be completed during the knitting of 90 courses. If these available courses are divided by the number of widening operations, the result is 9. One extra needle has to be included in the knitting operation every 9 courses, on the right and on the left.
• After the widening operation, the panel is knitted on the same number of needles for 10 centimeters or 50 courses.
• The narrowing procedure follows and the number of active needles have to be reduced from 180 to 80. The narrowing takes place on both sides of the panel in a single routine. Traditionally, two needles on each side are eliminated each time so the width is reduced by four wales.

………………………………………….180 – 80
The number of operations is —————-= 25
…………………………………………….4

• Narrowing should be completed within 65 courses. These available courses are divided by the number of narrowing operations. 25 operations are required so 15 operations are carried out after every 3 courses and 10 operations after every 2 courses.
• After the narrowing operations, the panel is knitted on the same number of needles for 2 centimeters or 10 courses.

A fully-fashioned panel, produced on a modern flat knitting machine, is shown in the above figure. In addition to the fashioning techniques, the panel is designed with protruding elements.

Conclusion:

Shape formation or fashioning in knitting is an important technique for creating contoured and functional knitted fabrics. By manipulating loops, tension, and patterns, knitters can achieve precise shapes and seamless designs. This method enhances garment fit, reduces material waste, and enables customization for various applications, from fashion to clothing textiles. Whether executed by both hand knitting and industrial knitting, fashioning empowers designers to blend functionality with creativity, making it an indispensable skill in modern knitting practices.

References:

1. Understanding Textile for a Merchandiser by Engr. Shah Alimuzzaman Belal
2. Knitting Technology, 3rd Edition by David J Spencer
3. Fundamentals and Advances in Knitting Technology by Sadhan C. Ray
4. Advances in Knitting Technology Edited by K. F. Au

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