There are many variations of knitted fabrics. In addition to the appearance of a conventional knitted fabric, the appearance of a conventional woven fabric can be imitated by different organizational methods and yarn materials. Woven-like knitted fabrics are characterized by the pattern, structure and texture effects of conventional woven fabrics, and the fabric is less elastic, flat and dense. In recent years, knitted fabrics that imitate woven styles have become increasingly popular. The frequency of appearances is also increasing, both in major exhibitions at home and abroad. As a result, knitted styles are becoming more and more popular. It is gradually becoming one of the mainstream styles of knitted products.
When designing a flat pattern design for woven knit fabrics, try using the stylistic features of the flat pattern to improve the knitted appearance of the knitted fabric. Because a straight geometric pattern is made up of straight lines, its own style adds a stiff visual effect to knitted fabrics, making it a more commonly used flat decorative pattern on woven fabrics. Also, botanical patterns can easily mimic the look of printed woven fabrics and are therefore commonly used in woven pattern designs.
1、Geometric pattern
Stripes
Stripes are one of the more common decorative techniques in garment design. It is free and rich in color variation, the knitting process is simpler, and textural effects are more easily obtained. In the knitting process, regular yarn changes can form the appearance of the more common woven color woven striped fabrics. In the timing of knitted fabrics of the woven type, the stripe pattern can also be changed more richly according to the characteristics of the knitting process of the knitted fabric. Miscellaneous yarns are combined with less elastic metallic yarns and interspersed and matched with striped patterns of the same color to form woven fabrics. Dark striped jacquard patterns are common in fabric designs where the fabric is flat and dense and the weave style is more intense.
Plaid
The check pattern is horizontal and vertical, in line with the warp and weft directions of the fabric's plain pattern, and is variable, which is why it is widely used in fabric pattern design. Check patterns in conventional woven knit fabrics are usually knitted in jacquard, such as sesame dot jacquard, which has a rich check pattern, and the fabric is flat and has low stretch. In the design process of knitted fabrics, the special role of the yarn must be fully utilized to enrich the woven style design of the fabric. Four-color jacquard knitting is used to knit plaid patterns with different horizontal and vertical widths. At the same time, positive and negative needles are used to make the middle part concave and the layered texture on the surface of the fabric richer. It should be noted that because of the increased use of plaid patterns on wool fabrics in the fall and winter, shrinkage or sanding processes are sometimes used to bring the appearance of knitted fabrics closer to the texture of woven fabrics.
Herringbone and rebate patterns
Herringbone and rebate patterns are among the dark patterns commonly used in woven fabrics. Therefore, dark patterns are often used in order to make knitted fabrics that mimic the weave pattern a stronger weave pattern. Herringbone patterns and inverted patterns are usually formed by single-sided plain fabrics, single-sided two-color fabrics, double-sided two-color fabrics, etc. Variations in pattern size, yarn thickness, arrangement and combination, color shape, etc. are relatively implicit. During the design process, we can also use the knitting process to change yarn colors and materials to form more interesting, richer herringbone patterns and reciprocal patterns. Herringbone and zigzag patterns can be used not only as dark knitting patterns, but also as pattern elements to be designed, with the addition of yarn material variations for a more innovative look.
Thousand birds check
The bird check is a classic pattern that has been used in tweed fabrics since the 19th century, and in recent years has also been widely used in knitted products. The bird check pattern is usually used for coats, so the fabric is relatively tough and brittle. Thousand bird check fabrics are usually knitted using a jacquard loom weave in order to make the entire fabric smooth and tight. However, when designing knitted fabrics in a woven style, it is important to take full advantage of the technical characteristics of the knitted fabric. For example, we can use unique knitting techniques to achieve pattern effects. The floating threads organized by the floating threads vary in length to form a thousand bird check pattern, with obvious concave and convex changes, and the fabric has a thicker and richer appearance. Other Geometric Patterns This is a relatively new design for minority patterns that can be applied to knitted fabrics similar to woven fabrics.
2、Botanical pattern
Printing process
When designing botanical patterns for woven fabrics, the easiest method is printing. Therefore, printing machine woven fabrics are also more common. In order to obtain the appearance of printed woven fabrics, the most commonly used knitted fabric tissue is sesame dot jacquard. Sesame-dot jacquard fabrics allow for complex and detailed patterns while the fabric is relatively flat, dense, less stretchy and has a certain stiffness that basically matches the properties of conventional printed woven fabrics. It should be noted that due to the different weaving processes of knitted and woven fabrics, in the usual woven fabrics, most patterns are regular patterns, such as continuous quadrilateral patterns, in order to facilitate printing. And so on.
When designing patterns for knitted fabrics, since the patterns are edited in computer software beforehand and then knitted, the patterns are not limited to conventional patterns, but can have various complete patterns that can be used more flexibly. Thus, the characteristics of knitted fabrics are fully reflected.
When designing botanical patterns for woven knit fabrics, attention should also be paid to the use of fancy yarns. Appropriate embellishment in the pattern will make the fabric pattern texture more rich and interesting.
In addition to the use of printing technology, embroidery technology is also used to form botanical patterns on the surface of woven fabrics. Because woven fabrics are less elastic, they are easier to embroider on their surfaces, but slightly less comfortable. For example, household cushions break the habit of using knitted fabrics for household products and are embroidered with flatter weft knitted fabrics, which not only have the appearance of knitted fabrics but also have a softer, more comfortable touch. It is perfect for daily household use and fully reflects the characteristics of knitted fabrics.
Knitting Process
In the process of designing knitted fabrics in a woven style. While imitating the appearance of woven fabrics, we must also make full use of the knitting process to enrich the fabric with as much detail as possible to reflect the character of the knitting process.
Knitted fabrics are designed by designers based on the origin of the fiber or yarn. Whether finishing the appearance or enhancing the performance of the fabric, attention should be paid to the material of the yarn and its appropriate use. At the same time, the pattern of the knitted fabric is designed by the designer, which means that the pattern of the knitted fabric or garment is controlled by the designer. Therefore, the placement, size, color and arrangement of the pattern can be integrated after the design, which is more flexible than traditional woven fabrics. Designers can take advantage of this specificity to create more subtle decorative patterns.
When designing faux woven knit fabrics, it is necessary to minimize overly complex textures in order to obtain the smooth and firm appearance of conventional woven fabrics, to make the variations as delicate and subtle as possible, and to keep the fabric neat and tidy.