Comparative study of calculated and actual dimensions in shaped weft-knitwear

This research explores and quantifies the relationship between traditional mathematical theories used for the calculation of fully-fashioned, weft-knitwear and the physical measurements of knitted garments in order to improve sizing accuracy within knitted garment production. Experiments were conducted to compare and contrast fashioning frequencies for 10-gauge knitted structures, which determined the resultant selvedge dimensions specifically within the armhole region. The trials used the geometrical principle of Pythagoras Theorem to calculate sleeve head and armhole shapes from the stitch densities. The findings identified that the greater distance between the fashionings, the less distortion occurred within the knitted structure and therefore a stronger relationship existed between the calculated seam dimensions and those measured from the physical knitted panels. The research developed new methods for calculating fit and alignment in commercial, fully-fashioned, weft-knitwear. This will result in a more sustainable, fully-fashioned, knitted product and reduce the number of returns to the retailer, due to size inaccuracies.