A Study of the Loop
A study of the loop is very important to those who wish to acquire a knowledge of knitting, for the whole construction of the knitted fabric is from loops. In fact, knitted fabric is commonly referred to as looped fabric.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 6.
Formation of Loops.
Fig. 4 shows the position or form into which the yarn is drawn to form the loops of a plain jersey or flat fabric. Fig. 5 shows a second course of loops drawn through the first. Fig. 6 shows a third course. It is quite evident that in order to draw each of these courses of loops through the preceding one there must be something to sustain or hold the preceding course of loops as well as the new loops during the period in which the new ones are being drawn through. There must also be something on which to start the first row or course of loops for, as stated before, a loop cannot be made without something of stability to draw it through.
It is very important that the reader get firmly fixed in his mind the curves of the loops and the most simple methods of forming them, as he can then more readily understand the necessary movements made on a machine. For this reason I will first take up the most primitive method of knitting; i.e., hand knitting.
Simplest Method of Forming Loops
The needles used for hand knitting are straight rods of steel, wood, bone or celluloid. Not less than two of these needles must be used as indicated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. To start we take the yarn and make a small slip knot or noose, with which we are all familiar, slip one needle through the loop thus made and draw the yarn up so that it fits around the needle loosely.
Fig. 7.
Forming Loops by Hand, First Step.