KNITTING GAUGES
Did you know that yarn can be turned into many different knitted structures to be used for anything from shaped knitwear to fabric for underwear? In this module, you will learn all about manufacturing knitted fabric and knits from wool yarn.
Did you know that knitting machines are also defined by their gauge? This means the number of needles per inch and determines the thickness of the yarn that can be used as well as the thickness of the knit being produced. Here, you’ll find out about the different knitting gauges and how knitting gauge affects the yarn you would use for various machines and fabrics.
UNDERSTANDING KNITTING GAUGE
The aesthetics (visual characteristics) of knitted fabric, in particular its thickness, are a product of three interdependent factors. The gauge (number of needles per inch) defines the yarn that can be used and in turn, the micron of wool determines the fineness of the yarn. There is, of course, a great deal of latitude when selecting wool, yarn, and gauge but first, let us look at each factor in turn to understand its importance.
KNIT GAUGE
Different knitting machines have different knit gauges. The number of needles per inch (NPI) the machine uses affects the thickness of the resulting fabric. The higher the knit gauge of a machine, the more needles per inch and the finer the resulting fabric.
A machine with only three needles per inch will form large loops of yarn and produce thick and chunky knitwear.
A machine with 14 needles per inch will form much smaller loops of yarn and produce finer and lighter weight knitwear.
Straight-bar knitting machines use a slightly different scale for knit gauge. The knit gauge of a straight-bar machine refers to the number of needles per 1.5 inches.
YARN COUNT
Of course, the finer the knitting gauge the finer the yarn must be in order to slip between the needles as it slides on and off to form the loops. As you have learned in previous modules, the thickness of yarn is largely defined by yarn count. Wool yarn count (Nm) is determined by how many hanks of a pre-determined length (1000m) can be produced from a specific weight (1.0kg) of yarn. For more information, revisit Topic 3: Yarn count in Module 6: Wool yarns.
MICRON
The fineness of yarn is also determined by the micron of wool used to spin that yarn. Micron refers to the diameter (thickness) of the fiber used to make the yarn. One micron is equal to one-millionth of a meter. Yarns produced from lower micron fibers are finer than yarns produced from higher micron fibers.
SELECTING YARN FOR DIFFERENT KNITTING GAUGES
The tables below can be used to determine the yarn suitable for flat-bed and circular knitting machines of different gauges. The yarn count and minimum and maximum micron for each gauge are expressed in a range. For example, a flat-bed machine with a knit gauge of 10 would require yarn with a yarn count between 20/2 and 24/2 (Nm). Such yarn is likely to be made from wool with a fiber diameter between 19.5 and 23µm.
For wool, the highest (finest) knit gauges are found on circular knitting machines, which commonly have a gauge of 24 – 28 and can go as high as 32. These machines require fine, high-quality yarns to knit efficiently.
Both tables show a degree of flexibility in the counts of yarn that can be used for a particular gauge, in fact, it is common to practise to use multiple ends of a fine yarn to enable the yarn to be knitted on a coarser gauge for a chunky look, but the soft handle.
FLAT-BED KNITTING GAUGES
And CIRCULAR KNITTING GAUGES
Knit Gauge (NPI)
|
Yarn count (Nm)
|
Max micron
|
Min micron
|
3
|
2/2-4/2
|
28
|
23
|
5
|
4/2-9/2
|
28
|
23
|
7
|
10/2-14/2
|
25
|
21
|
8
|
12/2-17/2
|
25
|
20
|
10
|
20/2-24/2
|
23
|
19.5
|
12
|
24/2-36/2
|
23
|
19.5
|
14
|
28/2-48/2
|
22
|
18.5
|
16
|
36/2-24/2
|
22
|
18.5
|
18
|
42/2-60/2
|
21
|
17.5
|
| Knit Gauge (NPI) | Yarn count (Nm) | Max micron |
Min micron
|
| 8 | 17/2-24/2 | 25 | 20 |
| 10 | 22/2-36/2 | 24 | 19.5 |
| 12 | 28/2-40/2 | 22 | 19.5 |
| 14 | 32/2-48/2 | 23 | 19.5 |
| 18 | 40/2-30/1 | 22 | 19.5 |
| 20 | 48/2-32/1 | 22 | 19.5 |
| 22 | 28/1-36/1 | 22 | 19.5 |
| 24 | 32/1-40/1 | 22 | 19.5 |
| 26 | 36/1-44/1 | 21 | 19.5 |
| 28 | 48/1-60/1 | 20 | 18.5 |
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