Flat Machine Knitting and Fabrics

by H. D. Buck

Fig. 26.
Flat Knitting Machine Making the Rib Stitch.

Varieties of Rib

This stitch, by distortion, or by manipulation of the yarns or needles, or by a combination of two or all three of these things, can produce a number of fabrics different both in appearance and feel. To enumerate the principal ones, there are the half cardigan or tuck stitch, also sometimes called royal rib; the full cardigan, and the rack stitch with the rack on one side of the fabric and the double rack which shows the rack on both sides of the fabric. Then there is the zig-zag stitch, which is quite simple to make but is quite a puzzle to those not familiar with it. There is also the cotton back, which is a well known and popular fabric in the sweater trade.

Then there are many varieties of ribs made either in plain or in combination with one or more of the above by taking needles out of the machine at predetermined places, or by the Jacquard system of selecting needles. There is also the system of making designs by the cut pressers and pattern wheels, which is used on circular machines only.

Half Cardigan or Tuck Stitch

The half cardigan or tuck stitch is used more than any other of the ribbed group, though it is generally used in combination with the plain rib. The body and sleeves of the ordinary rib sweater, and much of the rib underwear produced, are made in this stitch while the cuffs are plain rib. The reason for this is that the half cardigan rib will knit up considerably wider, with the same number of needles, than the plain rib, therefore it is possible to make a shaped garment without cutting and sewing up again. Also the plain rib comes out lighter and thinner so makes a more desirable cuff for sweaters and underwear. It also has more life or spring to it, which is another desirable feature.

The half cardigan or tuck stitch is the one that is almost invariably used in making the well known cotton back sweaters. It is believed by many people who are familiar with this fabric that the back stitch of cotton does not come through on the face, but in this they are mistaken. The face stitch does not go through on the back, but the back yarn does go through on the face.

Fig. 27.
Construction of a Half Cardigan
Rib Fabric.

Fig. 27 is a line drawing showing the course the yarn takes in making this stitch and a careful examination of it will demonstrate to the reader that this is the case. The dotted line e, e, indicates the wale on the face and f, f, shows the wale on the back. It will be noted that the back stitches of yarn come through to the face of the fabric and connect the preceding and succeeding stitches, c, c, the same as in the plain rib, but there is this difference, in the plain rib these face stitches are, or should be, just the same length, while in the half cardigan, on account of the back stitch of this course holding over for one course, it necessarily draws a longer stitch in the back and the yarn for this long stitch must come from the face stitch, thereby making this face stitch very short.