Techniques of knitting vary in regard of how the loops are created (simultaneously or one after another) or how many needles are used for example, enabling a variety of different fabrics.
Also of importance when it comes to knitting is the term "gauge". Gauge refers to how many needles per inches there are. The higher the gauge, the more needles there are, the finer knitted a fabric will be.
There are six main techniques of knitting:
- hosiery
Knitting technique for fabrics with typical end use leg wear.
- flat knitting
Knitting techique where right side and wrong side (side facing inwards / away from the viewer) of the fabric are of importance. Typically, the fabric is usually turned after every knitted row with some exceptions e.g. double knitting.
- circular knitting
Knitting technique where seamless, round tubes are created. In contrary to flat knitting, the fabric is always knitted from the same side.
- warp knitting
Knitting technique where the fabrics are relatively resistant to runs due to their zigzag structure. This is due to the way of how loops are created: With warp knitting, a specific number of loops are created simultaneously.
- rachel knitting
Actually a subsystem of the warp knitting. Compared to warp knitting, the rachel knitting allows more possibilities / more complicated patterns as it is possible to combine the ways of creating loops (namely simultaneously and one after another).
- Malimo
A special kind of machine that provides a mix between sewing and knitting. Characteristically, a Malimo machine has numerous heads. Those heads sew two lines of yarn together, which are similar to warp and weft in weaving but without the intermingling. The intermingling is only created by the heads stitching the lines of yarn together, creating a special kind of fabric.