Stretch knitting yarn

By: Lise Lefebvre

The museum's Yarn Library (Garenbank) has recently sourced a new stretch yarn blend, very suitable for the advanced knitting technique called Knit and Wear. This specific technique makes it possible to knit entire garments, for instance sweaters or trousers, without seams. To render this possible, the Stoll knitting machines available at the TextielLab are engineered to use only every other needle of the needle beds to allow the stitches to be transfered from the front and back bed.

While it makes knitting elaborate tubular fabrics possible, it also makes the results very open, as the yarn "skips'' every other stich. This is where the stretch yarn comes in: in the knitting process the yarn is slightly stretched as it forms the stitches, and in turn creates a fuller, denser fabric when the knitting is finished. The elasticity of the yarn is also very helpful as it prevents the yarn from breaking in the very demanding movements of the needles during this special knitting process.

This particular yarn is a comfortable blend of Viscose and Elastil, a stretchy form of polyester. It has a very soft touch with a slight shine to it.

For more information, contact Lise Lefebvre at the Audax Textielmuseum Tilburg /Textile Lab.