Cable stitch

A basic rib construction that involves a variation fashion stitch that creates the appearance of a heavy cord in a twisted, raised rope stripe pattern, running in the wales (lengthwise) direction of the knitted fabric. The cable stitch is used mostly in sweaters and sports hosiery/socks.

Tuck Stitch

A knitted stitch, which produces a tuck effect by having certain needles carrying more than one loop at a time. The resulting stitch produces an elongated wale (lengthwise ridge) on the front of the fabric, while on the back of the fabric the Tuck Stitch appears as an inverted. The stitch can be elongated for two or more courses (rows of loops/stitches), depending on how often the stitch was tucked.

Tuck Stitches are used to create design effects with difference colored yarns, textured looks, or eyelet patterns. Tuck Stitches may also increase the fabrics weight, width, or thickness. End-uses containing Tuck Stitches include underwear and outerwear. End use: Claudia Schaffer Cotton tuck stitch, Cashmere Tuck Stitch Dirndl Dress, Cowl Dress

1x1 Rib stitches

A basic stitch used in weft knitting in which the knitting machines require two sets of needles operating at right angles to each other. Rib knits have a very high degree of elasticity in the crosswise direction. This knitted fabric is used for complete garments and for such specialized uses as sleeve bands, neck bands, sweater waistbands, and special types of trims for use with other knit or woven fabrics. Lightweight sweaters in rib knits provide a close, body-hugging fit. Rib knits tend to be more durable and provide more stretch than jersey knitted fabrics.

In the knitting process, when every other wale alternates between plain and purl stitches on the right and back sides, it is called a 1 X 1 rib, or a plain rib.

2x2 rib

Alternating every two wales of plain stitches to the front side with every two wales of purl stitches to the back side, a 2 X 2, or Swiss rib, is created. When 6 wales of plain stitches to the right side alternates with 2 wales of purl stitches to the back side.

To identify rib knit fabrics, especially when they are tightly knit, using fine yarns, it may be necessary to stretch the fabric widthwise to see the appearance of alternating columns of plain and purl stitches in the lengthwise, or wale direction of the rib knit fabric. The raised ridges are wales of plain stitches, and the recessed columns are the wales of purl stitches.