Knitting is considered to be the second most frequently used method of fabric construction, after weaving. It is one of the several ways to turn thread or yarn into cloth. It is similar to crochet in the sense that it consists of loops pulled through other loops. In other words, knitting is the process of construction of a fabric made of interlocking loops of yarn by means of needles. The loops may be either loosely or closely constructed, according to the purpose of the fabric. The loops or stitches are interlocked using a needle which hold the existing loop and a new loop is formed in front of the old loop. The old loop is then brought over the new loop to form the knitted fabric. Knitting is different from weaving in the sense that a single piece of yarn can be used to create fabric. The knitted fabric consists of horizontal rows known as courses and vertical columns of loops known as wales. Today, knitting is practiced manually, or with the help of machines.

Knitting and Fashion
Knitted fabric has certain special characteristics that make it suitable for creating a wide range of garments and accessories like tights, gloves, underwear and other close-fitting garments. The structure of the loop of knitted fabric stretches and molds to fit body shapes. The air trapped by the interlocking loops keeps the wearer warm.
There are two important features of knitted fabric which can be related to fashion:

• Fashioning mark
• Fully-fashioned

Increasing or decreasing the number of stitches in a row widens or narrows the garment being created while knitting. Increasing is attained by moving outer loops sideways on a frame and thereby creating extra loops. This process leaves a small eyelet hole in the fabric which is known as a fashioning mark. The process is reversed while decreasing and the loops move inwards. Here the fashioning mark appears where two loops are compressed into one new loop. Garments made in this way are known as fully-fashioned and are regarded as high quality. It is seen today that some firms used fake fashioning marks to make garments appear to be fully-fashioned.

The popularity of knitting has grown a lot within the recent years owing to the adaptability of various man-made fibers, the increased versatility of knitting techniques and the growth in demand for wrinkle-resistant, stretchable, snug-fitting fabrics (particularly in the range of sportswear and other casual apparels). Today, knitted fabrics form an integral part of hosiery, underwear, slacks, sweaters, suits and coats, rugs and other home furnishing items.

Two divisions of the knitting industry
Knitting industry has two main divisions:

• One division produces knitted goods for apparel manufacturers, for sewing centers, for consumers and for others.
  
  
• Other division produces completed apparel like hosiery, sweaters and underwear.