M.A. William Davis

“ If silk is employed for the entire fabric, much of it is lost by intersecting on the back, only a tithe of the material being visible on the face. There is no real advantage in having silk on the back of the texture, and fuller effectiveness and greater comfort and weight are attained by bringing a heavier material on to the back, preferably a woollen thread with the silk showing on the face only. The back woollen thread by its bulk gives greater proportional weight and at the same time pushes the silk yarn prominently on to the surface and enables it to exhibit its full lustre. ”

“ Some firms of good standing in the trade still experience an insistent demand for real hand-frame goods, as they are unrivalled in point of quality and wearing properties. It is not strictly true that the hand-frame makes fabrics of so much better quality than the power machine, but owing to the higher cost of working on the hand-frame as compared with the power machine, it is futile to make inferior or low-grade materials by hand. Experts declare that no fabric is equal in textural excellence to that produced on the hand-frame. ”

“ It will be seen from these points that it is extremely difficult to lay down rules for setting yarn on any particular gauge of machine, but with practical experience in any branch of manufacture we may arrive at a rule which may be applied with confidence for any particular class of goods. We can also say with fair definiteness what size of yarn will be too light to give a good structure on any particular gauge whilst we may also determine the counts which is too heavy. The frame-worker is a good judge of its suitability by noting the way it works on the needles. ”

“ It would seem that a certain amount of fat is essential to the fullest possession of the wool fibre of all its important properties; in wool scouring the natural fat or yolk of the material is extracted, and if this be not replaced at a subsequent stage of spinning or knitting, the resilient properties are seriously diminished. In dry spinning we have greater cleanliness of yarn, but what is gained in cleanness is lost in resilience and pliability, and to restore these physical properties the natural oil or fat present in the cells of the fibre is artificially replaced by a soap-oil emulsion. ”

“ In the knitting operation the chief essential is accuracy of loop formation and regularity of stitch right along the entire width of loops in the course. If at any point the thread is drawn slightly tighter than the normal, this tightening is at once apparent in the formation of the loops and a grave defect occurs which on account of its minuteness is impossible to remedy in after operations. In the knitting operation correct tension of thread is indispensable to good quality fabric, and this again depends on an absolutely uniform feed of yarn to the needles of the machine. ”

“ The needle is perhaps the most delicate part of the frame and constant attention has to be given to these if perfect knitting has to be produced. Large firms find it to their advantage to engage an operative for this special work alone, he inspects all frames and his trained eye can soon detect the slightest fault of needle alignment and he replaces faulty needles by casting new ones. The pliaring of needles, as it is called, is an important part of the work of a modern knitting factory, and care to these machine parts is at once reflected in the quality of the fabric produced on the frames. ”

“ A constant source of trouble in knitting is the beard or spring of the needle, and if these are not properly hardened or tempered their period of service is much shortened, because the beard soon develops faulty action and refuses to spring back into its former position after the removal of the presser. If the beard has lost its spring the new yarn cannot be pushed properly underneath, a common defect being for the stitch to be halved, one portion of the thread going under and the other half over the spring of the needle. ”

“ In examining a purple or an orange secondary, for instance, the component primaries can always be distinguished, but in green it is not always possible to detect the primary components at a glance. The brightness and luminosity of the yellow tone into the strength and coolness of the blue with the result that the secondary green is cool and refreshing in aspect and proves what has been termed a sociable blending colour, it is not difficult to harmonize and is not too fastidious as to its associates. ”

“ Hand machines are moderately priced so that to start a knitting factory with such a plant is not a really formidable proposition, quite a respectable equipment being procurable for a few hundred pounds; many a prosperous firm owes its initial successes to the adoption of the flat knitter and from this they have been able to launch larger schemes of development in the knitting business. With new starters in this trade to-day the flat knitting machine nearly always figures prominently when there is lack of capital, and on this basis quite a sound foundation may be laid. ”

“ The more progressive manufacturers are now becoming fully alive to the importance of this subject, and are taking trouble to engage the services of managers who 123have received a long and careful training in the blending of colour and the art of garment production. In any branch of the textile industry there is a large and important section of colour effects which depend on the principle of colour analogy, that is, the colours employed are of the same nature in regard to quality and hue, but they differ in strength or intensity, they are lighter or darker in hue. ”

“ In a short time the cotton swells and becomes lustrous, approaching silk in general appearance, and this effect is augmented by the evenness of the surface of the thread. This type of yarn lends itself to the production of brilliant colours and is admirably adapted to such articles as knitted coats, scarves and other types of the fancy trade in knitted goods, being best suited for summer wear on account of their coolness. ”

“ In the novelty trade such as that of knitted coats the articles are so varied in style and shape that they have to be fashioned singly on a hand machine, and it is being recognized that the full-fashioned system is too expensive if the firm is to do trade on a large scale. To increase production in such goods, therefore, the articles are often cut from knitted web separately to the style and shape desired and seamed on one or other of the mechanisms now being improved to give a suitable join for such goods. ”

“ In its sense as a primary colour, yellow has an entirely different meaning and denotes brightness and gaiety as prevailing characteristics, it is outstanding in the property of luminosity, it is bright and attractive, and its use on gala days greatly contributes to the festive spirit. Yellow by itself cannot be said to occupy a prominent place in the knitting industry except for the purposes of brightening up otherwise sombre blends, when it is used in a limited quantity according to the character of the ground. ”

“ Certainly he learned how to humour the machine according to the nature of the material and in the great subtleties of "meeting the presser" and consequent knocking-over of the loops he acquired the skill of imparting to the article a "skin," which the connoisseur declares to be absent from the automatic machine-made product. The hand-frame worker was a skilled artist in the respect of shaping articles to the fit of the individual and his pride was that any person, however far removed from the normal, could be provided with a garment exactly suitable to his form. ”

“ So important is this matter of uniform yarn feed recognized to be for first-class fabric, that the Americans in particular have given the utmost attention to yarn supply devices, by which the yarn is measured into the needles by an arrangement which deadens all the minor variations of tension before the yarn approaches the sinkers and needles, and the amount fed into the needles is measured absolutely level for each stitch. ”

“ The producer of woven goods has an advantage in that he can make most forms of texture on one loom which he can alter in setting and tackle so as to give any degree of fineness or variety of design. The maker of knitted goods requires a series of entirely different machines in order to produce a full range of patterns and individual machines show but small variation in texture and weight. For any particular type of machine he requires to instal a series varying in the sett or gauge of the needles if a representative range of textures suitable for the changing seasons has to be devised. ”

“ To overcome the inherent defect of the horizontal direction, fabrics are often turned round a right-angle so that a horizontal colour stripe becomes a vertical one, but this has the disadvantage of turning the stitches on their side. The stretch in length is greatly increased over the width, and such garments show a tendency to elongate considerably during their period of wear, whilst the elasticity in the width is much reduced from the normal. In wearing such a garment the tendency is for the fabric to go to length by reason of its own weight combined with the action of the wearer in walking. ”

“ For a full-fashioned hose in plain stitch, a rotary frame of the Cotton's Patent type is employed, and they are made with two articles in one normal division of the frame, that is, in a 12-at-once machine, for garment size we should be able to make twenty-four articles of hose at one and the same time. The leg is made uniform in width right down to the calf when narrowings are performed according to the rate of diminution required, but it is when the heel is reached that greatest labour is expended. ”

“ Weight of Colour.—The weight of any colour is based on its position in the colour scale as has already been mentioned, any colour may be modified by the addition of white or of black which is carried out either in the dyeing operation or in blending of coloured wools. For any colour a scale of weights may be determined according as it is a tint or a shade of the colour. The tints can be so thin that they almost approximate to white for delicate effects, whilst the shades may be so dark that very little of the ground colour may be discernible, the effect being almost black. ”

“ The Flat Knitter.—One of the best known machines using the latch needle for its loop formation is the flat knitter which has an extensive use in the knitting industry. The scope of work produced on the flat knitter is truly wonderful and its great versatility of application accounts for its immense popularity. In addition to plain fabric it can make a large variety of fancy and reinforced stitches, which provide great extension to the textural scope of the knitted fabric, allowing it to be employed for a wider diversity of uses. ”

“ Knitting Trade Definition.—The meaning of the term hosiery has undergone a great expansion during the past decade and its present meaning is an eloquent testimony to the enormous growth which the trade has recently experienced. Originally the term had reference chiefly to articles of footwear, it was in this regard that the utility of the knitted stitch was first recognized. The feet form a delicately susceptible part of our anatomy and require special care in fabric selection. ”

“ Knitting was performed on all occasions and it proved a great comfort to many who had relatives in dangerous situations. Knitting acts as a soothing tonic, and there is the added satisfaction of producing something of direct usefulness whilst the skilful hand knitter may impart touches of elegance and distinction not possible by machine. If hand knitting is to be skilfully performed it is necessary to give attention to the size of the knitting pins and that of the yarn in relation. ”

“ In the case of the tuck varieties there may sometimes be an increase in width if the yarns are heavily worked on the frame, heavy working upsets the equilibrium of the knitted stitch, and this pressure it seeks to relieve by spreading out in the width. In determining the yarns suitable for any gauge, allowance has to be made for the nature of the material and the structure of the yarn. For instance, a woollen yarn spun on a tight principle might appear too thin for a given gauge, whilst another yarn of similar weight but fuller in handle would appear to fill the gauge exactly. ”

“ If any irregularity creeps into the tensioning of the thread as the carrier is moving from right to left as compared with its motion from left to right, then the variation in the size of the loops may be perceptible at alternate courses and occur right across the fabric. Small obstructions on the yarn surface such as knots, burrs or slubs, will produce a momentary catch on the aperture of the thread-carrier and cause this cross constriction of loops; a rough carrier nose is a fruitful source of trouble if any grooves are being worn in the instrument. ”

“ In addition the spinner requires to instal the right kind of combing plant which, it is satisfactory to learn, can be made very efficiently in this country; the British machine builder has risen to the occasion, and it is to be hoped that the spinner will follow quickly in his wake and prove equal to the enormous call for this class of yarn. These yarns are often referred to in the trade variously as botany yarns, or cashmere yarns, although the latter is in reality a misnomer, having original reference to the product of the Cashmere goat indigenous to the Himalaya Mountains in Northern India. ”

“ With hard yarns which are thick for the gauge of the frame, these straightened loops may occur six or eight together and have the effect of tightening the fabric at that point, at other times they take up a direction leaning to the right or the left which greatly impoverishes the goods. The more usual type of mal-formation is given in loops 3 and 4 where the stitch, unable to content itself with the length of yarn allotted to it, takes up an enlarged area. These are termed "pinholes," and when scattered all over a fabric seriously undermine its value. ”

“ The best-known examples of colour analogy are, of course, the greys, and colour effects are produced by dark grey used along with mid grey, or mid grey employed with light grey and so on. At the upper end of the series the light grey can be graduated into white, whilst at the lower end the dark greys can be graduated into black. These colour combinations are always in favour, and no matter what the prevailing shade may be there is always a certain proportion of trade done in the neutral tints. ”

“ Knitting and Weaving Compared with the weaving branch of textiles the knitting industry has several outstanding advantages which are now being widely recognized. In weaving it is necessary to have a considerable amount of tackle and supplementary attachments if the fancy pattern trade is to be conducted. The knitted texture is essentially a one-sided composition, but when effects such as lace work, tuck stitches, or coloured styles are introduced these are notable on account of their effectiveness. ”

“ In walking the muscles and tendons of the 6foot are in constant action and it is of vital importance to the comfort of the individual that the footwear should be worked in the most suitable fabric. To have footwear in the woven texture is unthinkable if from no other reason than the seams which would be necessary, and to have one of these located at the heel or along the sole of the foot would render the wearer unable to walk in a very short period. ”

“ When blending colours, whether of the same quality or of different hue, regard must be had to its position in this scale of tints or tones, for fabrics where two colours are combined in equal quantities the best results will be attained by employing them as nearly as possible of the same weight, if one colour predominates 126over the other in strength or brightness, it should be used in relatively less proportion to prove effective. If colours differ greatly in intensity the more heavily toned colour should, as a rule, be employed in relatively less proportion to the lighter shade. ”