ABSTRACT
This chapter will focus on two different types of weft knit technologies that are associated with seamless garments: circular machinery and flat bed machinery.
Circular knitting traditionally produces a tube of fabric and is commonly used to produce hosiery. When used for garments, the tubular structure is often cut down one side and opened out to create a flat length of fabric (Brackenbury, 1992), which is cut into the component parts of a garment. These are then sewn together. This technique is similar to the process used for woven garments and clearly creates a garment with seams. However, a more recent application is to utilise the tubular structure to create partially formed garment parts; namely, the tubular structure becomes the body and sleeves, creating a garment with fewer seams.
