Welting (knitting)

Last updated
Several types of welting are knit into the front of this jacket, including horizontal ribbing, bobbles and garter stitching. Bobbles and welting.jpg
Several types of welting are knit into the front of this jacket, including horizontal ribbing, bobbles and garter stitching.

In knitting, welting is the horizontal analog of ribbing; that is, one or more horizontal rows of knit stitches alternating with one or more rows of purl stitches.

Contents

The simplest welting is garter stitch, in which knit rows alternate with purl rows. If the fabric is produced "in the round", the effect is simply produced by knitting one row, then purling the next. If the fabric is being knit back-and-forth, turned after every row, the effect is produced even more simply by knitting each row—first from the right side, then from the wrong side.

Similar to ribbing, a welting pattern can be specified by the number of knit rows followed by the number of purl rows, e.g., 1x1 welting is garter stitch. Many complicated patterns of purely horizontal stripes are possible, which can be worked in yarns of different color, thickness and texture for added visual interest, e.g., wide stripes of red chenille alternating with narrow stripes of black worsted wool.

Welts can be decorated with nearly any motif used for a plain knitted fabric, e.g., bobbles, lace, and various colors. However, cables cannot be made horizontally; if desired, cables must be worked as a separate piece.

Tuck stitches

A variation of welting is the creation of tuck stitches. A tuck can be created when a previous row is knit together, stitch by stitch, with the present row. This forms a round ridge that projects outwards from the face of the fabric, and is used as a decorative detail.

Tuck stitches are created by working in hand knitting by working into the stitch immediately below the next stitch waiting on the needle. When the new stitch is slid off the needle, the ignored, unworked stitch unfolds, creating what is sometimes called a 'shawl' or 'brioche' stitch. This is the tuck, and it drapes across the top of the old stitch which forces its legs outwards. Due to this behaviour, tuck fabric tends to work up wider than the same number of stitches in stocking stitch, whilst the same number of rows will produce a slightly shorter length of fabric than in stocking stitch. Tuck stitches are generally not worked next to each other unless there is a purl stitch between, such as on a rib pattern, otherwise the tuck loops will just create long floats. On stocking stitch there should be at least one plain stitch between tuck stitches. Several tuck stitches spaced along a row, or placed vertically above each other will create decorative effects, textural effects in single colour and decorative patterns when worked in conjunction with colour stripes. [1] Tuck stitches worked on the knit stitches of every row of a rib fabric, are the basis of Brioche Stitch [2] (also called English Rib or Full Cardigan Stitch in machine knitting). These fabric demonstrate the way in which the tucks open up the stitches width-wise, look the same on both sides, and are quite unstable as the tucks rob yarn from each other. If tucks are worked on every knit stitch of rib fabric, but only on alternate rows, this will produce Royal Rib, also known as Half Cardigan Stitch. [3] This fabric has a different appearance on each side, but is more stable than those discussed above.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knitting</span> Method of forming fabric

Knitting is a method for production of textile fabrics by interlacing yarn loops with loops of the same or other yarns. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine.

Intarsia is a knitting technique used to create patterns with multiple colours. As with the woodworking technique of the same name, fields of different colours and materials appear to be inlaid in one another, fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stocking frame</span> Mechanical knitting machine

A stocking frame was a mechanical knitting machine used in the textiles industry. It was invented by William Lee of Calverton near Nottingham in 1589. Its use, known traditionally as framework knitting, was the first major stage in the mechanisation of the textile industry, and played an important part in the early history of the Industrial Revolution. It was adapted to knit cotton and to do ribbing, and by 1800 had been adapted as a lace making machine.

The term "gauge" is used in knitting to describe the fineness size of knitting machines. It is used in both hand knitting and machine knitting. The phrase in both instances refers to the number of stitches per inch rather than the size of the finished article of clothing. The gauge is calculated by counting the stitches or needles across a number of inches, then dividing by the sample's width in inches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knitting machine</span> Device used to create knitted fabrics

A knitting machine is a device used to create knitted fabrics in a semi or fully automated fashion. There are numerous types of knitting machines, ranging from simple spool or board templates with no moving parts to highly complex mechanisms controlled by electronics. All, however, produce various types of knitted fabrics, usually either flat or tubular, and of varying degrees of complexity. Pattern stitches can be selected by hand manipulation of the needles, push-buttons and dials, mechanical punch cards, or electronic pattern reading devices and computers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slip-stitch knitting</span> Family of knitting techniques

Slip-stitch knitting is a family of knitting techniques that uses slip stitches to make multiple fabrics simultaneously, to make extra-long stitches, and/or to carry over colors from an earlier row.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ribbing (knitting)</span>

In knitting, ribbing is a pattern in which vertical stripes of stockinette stitch alternate with vertical stripes of reverse stockinette stitch. These two types of stripes may be separated by other stripes in which knit and purl stitches alternate vertically; such plissé stripes add width and depth to ribbing but not more elasticity.

Knitting abbreviations are often used for brevity in describing knitting patterns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yarn over</span> Knitting technique in which the yarn is passed over the right-hand knitting needle

In knitting, a yarn over is technique in which the yarn is passed over the right-hand knitting needle. In general, the new loop is knitted on the next row, either by itself or together with an adjacent stitch. The yarn-over may also be dropped on the next row, producing a longer stretch of yarn between the stitches of the previous row. Conversely, the effect of a yarn-over can be obtained by picking up the yarn between stitches of the previous row; the difference is that the yarn then is shorter, and the flanking stitches of the previous row may be overly drawn together.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basketweave (knitting)</span>

In knitting, a basketweave pattern is characterized by intersecting ribs and welts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brioche knitting</span> Family of knitting patterns

Brioche knitting is a family of knitting patterns involving tucked stitches, i.e., yarn overs that are knitted together with a slipped stitch from the previous row. Such stitches may also be made by knitting into the row below and dropping the stitch above.

Basic knitted fabrics include stocking stitch, reverse stocking stitch, garter stitch, seed stitch, faggoting, and tricot. In some cases, these fabrics appear differently on the right side than on the wrong side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flat knitting</span>

Flat knitting is a method for producing knitted fabrics in which the work is turned periodically; that is, the fabric is worked with alternating sides facing the knitter. Another method of achieving the same result is to knit alternately from right to left and left to right without turning; this back-and-forth technique requires either innate or learned ambidextrous motor skills. The two sides of the fabric are usually designated as the right side and the wrong side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pick up stitches (knitting)</span>

In knitting, picking up stitches means adding stitches to the knitting needle that were previously bound off or belong to the selvage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double knitting</span> Form of hand knitting in which two fabrics are knitted simultaneously on one pair of needles

Double knitting is a form of hand knitting in which two fabrics are knitted simultaneously on one pair of needles. The fabrics may be inseparable, as in interlock knitted fabrics, or they can simply be two unconnected fabrics. In principle, an arbitrary number of fabrics can be knitted simultaneously on one pair of knitting needles with yarns, as long as one is careful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knitted fabric</span> Textile material made using knitting techniques, often by machine knitting

Knitted fabric is a textile that results from knitting, the process of inter-looping of yarns or inter-meshing of loops. Its properties are distinct from woven fabric in that it is more flexible and can be more readily constructed into smaller pieces, making it ideal for socks and hats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selvage</span> Narrow edge of a woven fabric parallel to its length

A selvage or selvedge is a "self-finished" edge of a piece of fabric which keeps it from unraveling and fraying. The term "self-finished" means that the edge does not require additional finishing work, such as hem or bias tape, to prevent fraying.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illusion knitting</span> Form of textile art

Illusion knitting or shadow knitting is a form of textile art, in which the knitting is viewed as simply narrow stripes from one angle, and as an image when viewed from another angle. Illusion knitting has been recognised as an art form since 2010, largely due to the advances made by Steve Plummer who has created several large and detailed pieces. Similar effects occur in Tunisian crochet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twined knitting</span> Knitting technique

Twined knitting is a traditional Scandinavian knitting technique. It refers to knitting where two strands of yarn are knitted into the fabric alternatively and twisted once and always in the same direction before every stitch. The technique is called tvåändsstickning in Swedish, tvebandsstrikking in Norwegian, and tvebinding in Danish. Their literal meaning is "two-end knitting", referring to the traditional way of knitting with both yarn ends from one ball of yarn.

References

Citations

  1. Haffenden 2018, pp. 81–82, 162–164, 194–195.
  2. Marchant 2010.
  3. Spencer 2001, pp. 199–201.

Bibliography

  • Haffenden, Vikki (2018). Translating Between Hand and Machine Knitting. UK: Crowood Press. ISBN   978-1785004315.
  • Spencer, D. (2001). Knitting Technology. Pergamon. ISBN   978-1855733336.
  • Marchant, N. (2010). Knitting Brioche: The Essential Guide to the Brioche Stitch. North Light Books. ISBN   978-1600613012.

General references