How woollen knitwear is made
Most sweaters are fully fashioned or cut-and-sewn from panels knitted on flat knitting machines, either hand-operated or computerised. Each panel (front, back, sleeves, rib trims) is knitted to shape, then the pieces are joined by linking: a linking machine joins two knitted edges loop by loop, which gives a flat, stretchy seam. Collars and cuffs are linked on the same way. The garment is then mended by hand where loops dropped, washed or milled to soften the wool, and pressed or steamed to size.
Wool fibres shrink and felt with heat, water and agitation, so washing and pressing set the final size. A sweater pressed hot and measured at once can be several centimetres off its relaxed size.
Ludhiana is listed by DGFT as a Town of Export Excellence for woollen knitwear. For cotton knit tops and T-shirts, see T-shirts and knit tops.
What we check on woollen knitwear
| Check | How it is checked | What fails |
|---|---|---|
| Measurements | Garments laid flat to relax before measuring chest, length, sleeve, rib depth and neck width | Out of tolerance, sleeves of different lengths, uneven grading |
| Linking | Collar, cuffs, shoulders and side seams stretched gently along the link line | Dropped loops that run, visible gaps, tight links that do not stretch |
| Knitting faults | Each panel checked against light | Holes, dropped stitches, tuck errors, needle lines, gauge change between panels |
| Mending | Repaired areas checked from face and reverse | Visible mends, wrong-colour yarn used for mending |
| Pilling and surface | Surface rubbed by hand, especially under arms and at cuffs | Pills on light rubbing, fluffing, yarn slubs |
| Rib recovery | Cuffs and waistband stretched and released | Rib that stays stretched or is too tight to pull on |
| Closures | Buttons pulled; buttonholes and zips tried | Loose buttons, buttonholes cut through the stitching, zip waving on a knit placket |
| Shade and pattern | Body and sleeves compared; jacquard and stripe matching checked at seams | Sleeves from a different dye lot, stripes not matching |
| Labels | Fibre, origin and care label read against artwork | Blend percentages missing, "wool" on an acrylic-rich blend, care method that would felt the garment |
Felting shrinkage after washing and pilling grades are measured by a lab. On request, the inspector can wash one garment by the label method and measure it again as a screen.
Common woollen knitwear and sweater defects and how they are classed
| Defect | Typical cause | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Broken knitting or linking needle in the garment | Needle fragments not recovered from the machine bed | Critical |
| Neck or hood drawstring on children's knitwear for the US | Adult design used in children's sizes | Critical |
| Hole or running ladder | Dropped stitch not mended, broken yarn | Major |
| Open linking | Loops missed on the linking machine | Major |
| Size out of tolerance after relaxing | Pressed to size rather than knitted to size | Major |
| Shade difference between panels | Panels knitted from different yarn lots | Major |
| Pilling on light rub | Low-twist yarn, short fibres | Major or minor against the sample |
| Visible mending | Rushed hand mending | Minor |
Market rules for woollen knitwear
- US labels. Wool knitwear is labelled under the Wool Products Labeling Act: wool and any recycled wool by percentage, other fibres, origin at the neck and the seller's name or RN. A care label with a reliable basis is required; a machine-wash instruction on a non-shrink-resistant wool sweater is a label fault.
- US flammability. Fabrics made entirely of wool or acrylic are exempt from testing under 16 CFR 1610; blends with cotton or viscose, especially brushed, are not automatically exempt. See 16 CFR 1610.
- Children's knitwear. In the US, children's upper outerwear in sizes 2T to 16 with drawstrings that do not meet ASTM F1816-97 is a substantial product hazard under 16 CFR 1120, and that standard rules out hood and neck drawstrings in sizes 2T to 12; EN 14682 covers cords and drawstrings in Europe. See children's clothing.
- EU and UK. Annex I names with percentages; "virgin wool" only for new wool. See EU textile labelling.
Packing, transit and your purchase order
Knitwear is folded, not hung, because it stretches on a hanger. Folds should match the approved fold size, with tissue for fine merino. The inspector checks that garments are cool and dry before bagging, polybag warning text, that heavy cartons are not crushing the fold, and that no moth deterrent is used unless the buyer allows it.
- Size chart measured flat after relaxing, with tolerances and the relaxing method.
- Yarn: fibre, count, ply and supplier, and gauge.
- Shrinkage limit after the label care method, and pilling grade if you will lab-test.
- Linking standard for collars and cuffs, and limits for visible mending.
- Trims: buttons, zips and labels, and drawstring rules for children's sizes.
- Fold size, tissue, polybag and carton quantity.
Sources
- DGFT: Appendix 1B, Towns of Export Excellence (Ludhiana, woollen knitwear)
- FTC: Threading your way through the labeling requirements under the Textile and Wool Acts
- 16 CFR 1610.1, scope and exemptions of the clothing flammability standard
- 16 CFR 1120.3, drawstrings in children's upper outerwear
- Regulation (EU) 1007/2011, Article 8 (fleece wool and virgin wool)