Multimedia Tools for Studying Programming Methods of Knitted Fabrics With Cables Design

Abstract

Weft knitting offers the highest potential concerning the patterning possibilities and 3D shaping. Among them, cables design are unique architectures of the weft knitted fabrics, formed by using the stitch transfer, one of the fundamental technique of modern knitting. In fact, nearly all the patterns presented in current samples range contain a certain number of transferred stitches. The basic concept of cables consists in producing a series of plain stitch columns on a purl-stitch base. After a number of rows, some of the stitches, corresponding to half the stitch columns in question, are transferred on other stitch columns, while the stitches of the latter are transferred to the previous stitch columns. The stitches are thus crossed over and produce the cable effect. The students enrolled at Faculty of Textiles, Leather and Industrial Management from Iasi, following the knitwear and apparel technology study program, are provided with the relevant skills for the development of various knitted patterns by using professional software, programming, setting the knitting parameters and manufacturing the fabrics. The classical learning method of cables involves the study based on graphic knitting schemes, accompanied by long explanatory texts. Within the knitting lab, specialized teachers have developed new multimedia based learning methods. Thus, videos have been produced to demonstrate the stages of achieving a cable design effect. Also, html interactive knitting schemes have been developed that show and explain sequentially the work phases to make automated knitting programs. Students are using specialized Computer Aided Design programs to develop and test new programs for knitting cable designs, on computerized flat knitting machines. The paper presents the applications of such type, which are available for the students from knitting specialization, in html format, on the Faculty Moodle platform: http://www.moodle.tex.tuiasi.ro.