Classification of Knitted Wool Garments

By Fibre Composition

(1) Pure animal hair (100%) – garments made entirely from one type of animal fibre: e.g. pure wool, cashmere, camel hair, lambswool (young sheep wool), etc.

(2) Blends – mixtures of animal hair with other fibres: e.g. rabbit hair/wool, camel hair/wool, yak/wool, wool/acrylic, rabbit hair/acrylic, mohair/acrylic, cashmere/nylon, cashmere/silk, etc.

(3) Pure synthetic or synthetic blends – e.g. nylon, polypropylene, polyester, acrylic bulky yarn, acrylic/polyester, viscose/nylon, etc.

(4) Interwoven – fabrics made by using different yarns in the warp and weft (or in different courses), e.g. wool/acrylic interwoven, rabbit hair/acrylic interwoven, wool/cotton interwoven.

Note: “Blends” mean different fibres are mixed within one yarn; “interwoven” means different yarns are used separately in the fabric structure.

By Spinning Process

(1) Combed yarns – made with a combing process, producing smooth, even, and neat yarns. Used for fine-gauge, medium-gauge, and coarse-gauge knitwear.

(2) Carded yarns – made with a carding process (without combing), yielding softer, fluffier yarns. Typical for lambswool, cashmere, rabbit hair, camel hair, and Shetland-type wool garments.

(3) Fancy-yarn knitwear – using novelty yarns such as loop yarn, knop yarn, slub yarn, or brushed yarn. These create unique textures, artistic effects, and distinctive styles.

By Knitting Machine Type

Most knitted wool garments are weft-knitted. There are two main machine categories:

(1) Circular-knit products – knitted as tubular fabric on circular machines, then cut and sewn into garments.

(2) Flat-knit products – knitted on hand-operated or computerised flat knitting machines. They may be produced as shaped panels (then sewn together) or as fully-fashioned (even seamless) whole garments on modern machines.

By Fabric Structure

Common structures include: single jersey, double knit (e.g., interlock, rib, or “four-flat”), links-links, jacquard, tuck stitches, transfer stitches, cable stitches, and many others.

By Decorative Finishes

Various embellishment techniques are used:

(1) Printed knitwear – with printed patterns (all-over, front panel, or local). This is a relatively new category, offering strong visual appeal and artistic effect.

(2) Embroidered knitwear – hand- or machine-embroidered patterns. Common on women’s and children’s styles. Types include tone-on-tone, solid-colour, multicolour, wool-embroidery, silk-embroidery, and metallic-thread embroidery.

(3) Napped (brushed) knitwear – the fabric surface is brushed to raise a dense, even layer of fluff, giving a soft, bulky feel and extra warmth.

(4) Fulled/milled knitwear – also called “shrunk” or “carded-wool” knitwear. Fulling makes the fabric tighter, thicker, softer, and more compact, with a fine surface nap. It is warmer and more comfortable.

(5) Embossed/relief knitwear – a novel technique where a water-soluble shrink-resistant resin is printed onto the garment in a pattern; then the whole piece is fulled. The resin-treated areas do not shrink, while the untreated areas do, creating a 3-D embossed relief effect. This is often combined with over-printing to enhance the three-dimensional look.

Modern Additions:

Today, seamless knitting (whole-garment technology) is increasingly common, reducing cutting waste and improving fit.

Eco-friendly fibres (e.g., recycled wool, Tencel(TM), hemp blends) and low-impact dyes are gaining attention.

Functional finishes – such as anti-pilling, anti-static, moisture-wicking, and easy-care treatments – are now standard in many high-quality knitwear lines.