Reasons for spirality of knitted fabric

Abstract

Spirality of knitted fabric is defined as the distortion of wales in the knitted fabric. It is in most cases an undesirable appearance in plain jerseys. Three single circular knitting machines were used for knitting 32 samples of knitted fabric in which the spirality of knitted fabric was measured. Raw and dyed cotton single yarns with Z and S-twist direction were predominantly used. Twisted cotton and silk yarns as well as blended yarns of cotton and viscose were also used. The needle bed of the machine had a left rotation. When they knit a yarn with Z-twist direction, a negative spirality of knitted fabric amounting to -27° is obtained. When yarns with S-twist direction are knitted, a positive spirality of knitted fabric amounting to +20° is obtained. Twisted yarns reduce the spirality of knitted fabric considerably.