Akademik

   History confirms that the early beginnings of knitwear started somewhere around 250 C.E. in Asia and in Europe at about 712 C.E. By the ninth century, patterned knitwear was in use and in the 1300s the Knitters Guild was in place in Paris. From the 1300s through the 1900s, luxury goods included knitted silks and wools. The invention of the first knitting machine in England in 1589 saw hosiery move into mass production and, by the late 1600s, England was a key exporter of knitted stockings. It was in the sixteenth century that Italy, England, Wales, and Scotland look to the knitted cap as a stylish component of a man's wardrobe. The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were times of significant development in knitting technology; by 1863, William Cotton had invented machinery that could knit an entire garment with shape. It was Chanel in the 1920s who first made jersey knit fabric acceptable at the couture level. In 1930, the Pringle Company in England introduced the twin sweater set. It became a staple of the middle-class women's wardrobe and variations remain popular today. In the 1940s and 1950s, the varsity sweater was an essential component of the young man's wardrobe, girl's sweaters were often lavishly embellished for special occasions, and women's evening attire often included elegant beaded sweaters. The 1960s can be defined by the poor-boy sweater, a tight-fitting, wide-ribbed sweater. By the 1970s, high-quality designer knits were being produced in Italy. By the 1980s, knitted fabrics equaled woven fabrics in production. The twentieth century saw dramatic technology changes in knitting machinery. Computerized knitting machines allowed for the replication of skills that in the past could only be achieved by hand.

   Knitting is separated into two distinct categories. Weft knitting, which includes circular knitting, is when the yarn loops are joined to one another horizontally. Sweater bodies, stockings, and both single and double knits are examples of weft knitting. In warp knitting, the loops are formed vertically. Tricot is the generic name for all warp knit fabrics and is traditionally used in intimate apparel, outerwear, and activewear.