Oct 12, 2026Buying Guides
Knitwear Glossary: The Terms Brands and Suppliers Use
Master the essential knitwear vocabulary, from gauge and yarn count through to linking and finishing, so your tech packs and supplier talks stay aligned.
1. Why Sourcing Conversations Get Lost in Vocabulary
Mismatched vocabulary between brand teams and suppliers frequently triggers costly sample revisions. Our journal covers topics like gauge or sampling in depth; this glossary sets out the shared terms behind them.
2. Gauge, Yarn and Weight Words
Gauge (GG): Gauge measures needles per inch on a flat knitting bed. It sets stitch density, determining whether a style knits as a fine layer or a chunky sweater.
Yarn count: Yarn count indicates the thickness of a single yarn strand. It governs whether the yarn fits the machine gauge without knitting into a stiff fabric.
Ply: Ply indicates how many single yarn strands are twisted together. Adding ply builds fabric weight and stitch definition without altering base yarn count.
Denier: Denier expresses filament mass against a fixed length. Lower denier creates sheer panels, while higher denier reinforces cuffs and collars.
Garment weight in grams: Garment weight measures total finished sweater mass on a scale. It governs seasonal warmth, yarn usage, and drape.
GSM versus garment weight: GSM measures fabric area density, while garment weight measures total finished mass. Specifying garment weight in grams keeps sizing consistent on shaped panels.
3. Construction and Assembly Words
Fully-fashioned: Fully-fashioned panels are knitted directly to shape by transferring stitches along panel edges. This shaping method creates clean selvages and flexible seams with minimal scrap.
Cut and sew: Cut and sew cuts pattern pieces from knitted yardage and seams raw edges with overlock machines. Compared to fully-fashioned shaping, it accommodates complex asymmetrical designs but leaves slightly thicker interior seams.
Dial linking: Dial linking joins matching panel loops stitch by stitch on a rotating needle dial. It creates an ultra-flat seam that flexes naturally without chafing skin.
Hand stitching: Hand stitching uses manual needlework to attach collars, trims, or pocket reinforcements. It leaves an invisible finish and secures stress points machines cannot reach.
Selvedge: A selvedge is the clean self-finished border formed when yarn reverses direction at a panel edge. It resists unraveling, allowing narrow, flexible seams.
Fashion marks: Fashion marks are visible needle-transfer marks formed along armholes or necklines during shaping. They signal fully-fashioned work around movement points.
Trims and labels: Trims and labels include neck tags, care labels, buttons, and zippers attached during final assembly. Their attachment tension dictates neckline comfort and limits puckering across knit panels.
4. Stitch and Surface Words
Jersey (plain stitch): Jersey is a single-bed knit with vertical face wales and reverse purl loops. It creates a lightweight drape that requires balanced trims to counter natural edge curling.
Rib knit: Rib knit alternates face and reverse stitches to form vertical ridges with high recovery. It adds horizontal elasticity, making it standard for cuffs, collars, and plackets.
Cable knit: Cable knit crosses stitch groups over one another to produce raised braid patterns. It introduces bold dimensional texture and warmth while pulling fabric width into a firmer structure.
Pointelle: Pointelle is an openwork technique where transferred stitches create geometric eyelet holes. It adds breathability and delicate visual interest across lightweight spring and summer knitwear.
Intarsia: Intarsia knits solid color blocks using dedicated yarn carriers across designated zones. It delivers sharp multi-color artwork without long floating yarns across the reverse.
Jacquard: Jacquard knits multi-color motifs while carrying inactive yarns as reverse floats. It yields ornate patterns but adds thickness and reduces stretch.
Drop stitch: Drop stitch releases loops deliberately to create vertical ladder-like open runs. It gives a relaxed, deconstructed surface with high ventilation.
Melange yarn: Melange yarn blends pre-dyed fibers of varying tones to produce a heathered effect. It adds visual depth to solid surfaces while masking minor fiber inconsistencies.
Metallic yarn: Metallic film yarn is knit alongside core fibers to add shimmering accents. It brings reflective sparkle to evening collections, and needs balanced machine tension to keep the interior comfortable.
Sheer and transparent knit: Sheer knitwear uses fine yarns, loose tension, or open stitch layouts to let light filter through fabric. It enables delicate layering, though opacity must be checked over contrasting backgrounds during sampling.
5. Color, Fit and Finishing Words
Lab dip: A lab dip is a small test-dyed yarn swatch submitted to match a custom color standard. Evaluating lab dips under standardized lighting confirms shade direction before authorizing bulk yarn dyeing.
Colorway: A colorway represents an approved color arrangement applied to a specific garment silhouette. Finalizing colorways early lets workshops schedule dye lots and align trim components across production runs.
Grading: Grading scales measurements across sizes from an approved base sample. Knitwear grading accounts for stitch elasticity, limiting neckline distortion on larger sizes.
Points of Measure (POM): Points of Measure define where garment dimensions must be measured. Clear POM instructions reduce fit discrepancies between brand developers and workshop quality teams.
Blocking: Blocking is a steam or wet finishing step that stabilizes garments on forms. It evens out stitch tension, relaxes fibers, and sets final measurements.
Mending: Mending is a manual quality step where skilled operators use needles to repair dropped loops or loose yarn ends. It corrects surface flaws before washing and pressing.
Pre-shipment inspection: Pre-shipment inspection is the final quality audit verifying garments against tech pack tolerances before export. It gives brand buyers inspection reports covering measurements, seams, and packaging.
Mastering this vocabulary bridges design vision and workshop execution. Our partner workshops run 3GG, 7GG, 12GG, and 14GG flat knitting machines, and we support 25 running styles across cardigans and pullovers. We work with private labels through OEM and ODM services, confidential quotes, minimum order quantities from 50 pieces per color per style, and sampling in 5 to 7 days. Contact our team to plan your next collection.
