Knitting Yarn & GSM Calculation of Knitted Fabrics

Knitted fabric is made with the help of yarn loops. Yarn of different counts is used to produce fabric of different grammage.

Yarn weight refers to the thickness of the yarn. It's a range, from super fine to super bulky. There are six different categories of yarn weights, and according to the Craft Yarn Council of America, specific weights of yarn should produce a somewhat predictable number of stitches when using a particular sized needle. The heavier the yarn and the fewer stitches per inch you will get.

Machine Gauge
Machine Gauge As per Oxford Dictionary the word gauge is a noun and as well as verb. It is used to measure level of any thing or for an instrument to measure width, length or height of any thing. In knitting it is used to express the number of needle in a unit length of the needle bed. This needle bed may flat or circular. In double knit circular machine it is used for cylinder and as well as dial. Generally gauge is defined as number of needles per inch. According to German standard DIN 60917 (Iyer et al1995) alphabet E is used to denote knitting machine gauge. E = Number of needles 1 inch (25.4 mm) Machine Pitch As per German DIN 62125 (Iyer et al1995) the notation gauge is to be avoided in the future. Rather they prefer to use notation pitch for comparison purpose. Machine Pitch means the distance between the centres of two neighbouring needles. It is denoted with small t. It is given in mm.

Grammage Expressions

Generally grammage is expressed in Grams per Meter Square (GSM) but in certain cases it is also expressed Ounces per Yard Square (OSY).

Most suitable count for knitting machines

As you are aware that while knitting, the needle hook has to take yarn to convert it into a loop and finally latch has to close the needle hook so that loop is properly held by the needle hook and ultimately this helps in passing new loop through the previously held loop. It is clear from this explanation that there should that there should be a proper balance between needle hook size and the thickness of the yarn or filament. If the yarn is thicker than needle hook then there will a chance that needle hook will not able to hold this loop and consequently there will be a small hole in the fabric. If the situation is reverse, means yarn is thinner than the size of the needle hook then the fabric produced will look like a net. Both situations are not wanted. This situation demands a balance between needle hook size and count of yarn. It is worth to note that needle hook size depends upon the machine guage. Furthermore for different garments, fabric of different grammage is required. Every time knitter has to decide about the yarn count. There are many ways for the selection of proper count. In the following lines we will discuss most common methods to select count for different machines of different guage. It is also important to note that selection of yarn counts also depends upon the machine manufactures and type of machines, like, single and double knit machine. However a general guideline will be given hereunder.

Most suitable count for knitting machines

As a thumb rule knitting experts prefer to use such knitting machine whose gauges is near to count of yarn (English count) i.e. for 20gaugemachines most suitable yarn count is 20s. This rule is has certain limitations, like, for 28-gauge yarn of 26s to 30s is most suitable. But for very fine counts this rule is not applicable and also machines have maximum gauge 32. Normally fine counts are not used as such rather they are make double, like count 60s double, which means that net count is near to 30s. And this 60 double count is suitable for 30-gauge machine. To solve this problem some authors have suggested following formulas. For single Knitting Machine Suitable count = G*G/18 For Double knitting machine Suitable count= G*G/8.4 **Where G is gauge of knitting machine

Contd..

Some knitting machine manufacturers suggest a range of yarn count for their machine. There is another way to solve this problem and that is to take help from old record. Every firm is producing many types of fabrics and on the basis of experience they develop a database for ready reference. Knitters have to decide by themselves after doing a trial production, since there are many more factors, which can affect yarn and gauge selection process.

Relation between length, width and grammage

People working in garment business face difficulties in calculation related to grammage, width and length of the fabric. The following lines explain relationship among these factors with examples: Example 1 Calculate weight of fabric from the given data. Grammage 300 GSM Width of fabric 35 inches (in tubular form) Length of fabric 20 meters First we will calculate area of the fabric Area of fabric = Fabric length * fabric width = 20 * 35*2 (since fabric is in tubular) 39.37 (one meter is equal to 39.37 inches) = 35.6 meter square

Weight of one meter square is = 300 (GSM) And weight of 35.6 meter square = 300*35.6 = 10680 grams or 10.680 Kgs

Example Calculate GSM from the data given Total Weight of fabric = 15.5 Kgs Length of fabric = 35 meters Width of fabric in open form = 65 inches Solution: First we will calculate area of the fabric Fabric length = 35 meters Fabric width = 65 inches or 1.65 meters Fabric area = Length * width =35 * 1.65 =57.75 meters square Weight of 57.75 Meter square is 15.5 kgs or 15500 grams So weight of one square meter = 15500/57075 = 268.39 grams per meter square of GSM of the fabric

Wool

The Wonders of Wool

Wool

yarn is probably the most popular fiber out there, and it's no wonder that people love working with it. Wool is springy and easy to work with, producing knitted objects that are warm, durable and long-lasting. It is specially popular for hand knitting and is ideal for Hand-Knitting.

What is Wool?

Technically the term wool can be used to mean any animal fiber, but it is most commonly used to mean the yarn spun from the fur of sheep. Other wools can some from alpaca, goats, llamas or rabbits. Wool from sheep is special because the scales overlap and the fur is very kinky. Both of these characteristics lead to wool's amazing felting ability. The crimps in the fiber also make wool bulky. The fiber is full of air, which makes it quite warm in the winter, but it can also be used to keep heat out during the summer. Wool has been used by humans for centuries and is still an incredibly popular knitting yarn because of its naturalness, the ease in working with it and the wide variety of colors and textures available.

Knitting with Wool

Wool is a great fiber even for beginning knitters. That's because wool is very forgiving. It is naturally elastic, which makes it easier to keep an even tension. Wool is also quite resilient, so when you stretch something that has been knitted with wool, it tends to spring back to its original position. This makes wool a great choice for projects that need to stretch to fit, such as hats, earwarmers, fingerless gloves and similar items. Wool allergies are pretty rare, but lots of people have reactions to the dust and dander that can collect in wool, or simply find it itchy.

Caring for Wool

Wool is sensitive to agitation and hot water, which causes the overlapping scales of the fiber to stick together, what we call shrinking, or, if we do it on purpose, felting. To avoid this, wools should be washed in lukewarm water with little agitation. Most people prefer to wash wool items by hand to avoid any possibility of felting when they can't see what's happening inside their washing machine. Woolmark offers many great tips on caring for woolen items. These tips pertain especially to purchased wool items, but here's an abbreviated list for handmade items: Check the yarn label for suggestions on how to care for your particular yarn. Treat stains as soon as possible with cold water and seltzer water. Blot with a cloth rather than paper towels. Seek the advice of a dry cleaner for stubborn stains.

Caring for Wool

Allow woolens that have picked up odors to air out on a bed. Wash items by hand, using a product designed to be used with wool, according to the directions on the yarn label. If you don't have any directions, wash in lukewarm water and avoid agitating, wringing or spinning the item. Rinse well with lukewarm water. Lay the item on a towel and gently roll to get excess water out. Leave the item flat to dry, outside of direct sunlight and away from heat. Store woolen items folded in a closet or cedar chest. Do not hang woolen items. If storing long-term, consider having the item dry-cleaned first.

Knitting Videos

Knitting video: http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=8uvL_KUq7Pg Socks knitting : http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=u40IM5V1Zg8&feat ure=related Sweater knitting : http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=2IHME0pdug&feature=related