A single- or double-knit circular knitting machine having a cylinder (11) equipped with cylinder needles and/or a dial equipped with dial needles for the production of single- or double-jersey knitted webs, which machine has at least one thread-selection device, threads being able to be supplied to any cylinder- and/or dial needle by the thread-selection device.

A process and system for forming an apparel fabric having a predetermined requisite optical colour and pattern effect and predetermined physical fabric properties are disclosed. The process comprises the steps of: (1) providing a first plurality of n yarn; (ii) providing at least one further plurality of m yarn; and (iii) knitting the first plurality of n yarn with the at least one further plurality of m yarn by way of a knitting process to form a multi-ply apparel fabric; wherein each yarn is formed from a plurality of fibers formed from a polymeric material, wherein the fibers are formed from a dope dyeing process and wherein the fibers are colored during the dope dyeing process; wherein upon knitting the first plurality of n yarn with the at least one further plurality of m yarn to form the multi-ply apparel fabric, the apparel fabric is formed having the predetermined requisite optical colour and pattern effect devoid of optically detectable variants in the requisite optical colour and pattern effect; and wherein the first plurality of n yarn and the at least one further plurality of m yarn are selected to provide the predetermined requisite optical colour and pattern effect and the predetermined physical fabric properties.

A process and system for forming an apparel fabric having a predetermined requisite optical colour and pattern effect and predetermined physical fabric properties are disclosed. The process comprises the steps of: (1) providing a first plurality of n yarn; (ii) providing at least one further plurality of m yarn; and (iii) knitting the first plurality of n yarn with the at least one further plurality of m yarn by way of a knitting process to form a multi-ply apparel fabric; wherein each yarn is formed from a plurality of fibers formed from a polymeric material, wherein the fibers are formed from a dope dyeing process and wherein the fibers are colored during the dope dyeing process; wherein upon knitting the first plurality of n yarn with the at least one further plurality of m yarn to form the multi-ply apparel fabric, the apparel fabric is formed having the predetermined requisite optical colour and pattern effect devoid of optically detectable variants in the requisite optical colour and pattern effect; and wherein the first plurality of n yarn and the at least one further plurality of m yarn are selected to provide the predetermined requisite optical colour and pattern effect and the predetermined physical fabric properties.

A single- or double-knit circular knitting machine having a cylinder (11) equipped with cylinder needles and/or a dial equipped with dial needles for the production of single- or double-jersey knitted webs, which machine has at least one thread-selection device, threads being able to be supplied to any cylinder- and/or dial needle by the thread-selection device.

A weft-knitted fabric and a knitting method thereof. The weft-knitted fabric is produced by knitting with a circular knitting machine. The weft-knitted fabric is formed by knitting a face yarn and a ground yarn. The weft-knitted fabric includes at least one first area and at least one second area, the at least one first area and the at least one second area respectively comprise at least one course. In the first area, the face yarn and the ground yarn are all looped, and relative positions of the face yarn and the ground yarn are not fixed in the same course. In the second area, the ground yarn is all looped, and the face yarn cooperates with the ground yarn by one of following: looping and welting.

A weft-knitted fabric and a knitting method thereof. The weft-knitted fabric is produced by knitting with a circular knitting machine. The weft-knitted fabric is formed by knitting a face yarn and a ground yarn. The weft-knitted fabric includes at least one first area and at least one second area, the at least one first area and the at least one second area respectively comprise at least one course. In the first area, the face yarn and the ground yarn are all looped, and relative positions of the face yarn and the ground yarn are not fixed in the same course. In the second area, the ground yarn is all looped, and the face yarn cooperates with the ground yarn by one of following: looping and welting.

A cylinder and dial knitting machine includes a knitting gap, at least one feeder for feeding two yarns into the knitting gap, a plurality of upper needles, a plurality of lower needles, and a selector. The two yarns are interlaced at a narrowing point in the knitting gap. Each of the lower needles is controlled by the selector to have two narrowing states. Each of the lower needles has a hooking point in each of the two narrowing states. Two hooking points have different positions at the knitting gap, and the two hooking points have different distances to the narrowing point. Each of the lower needles is hooked at the two yarns at one of the two hooking points. Each of the plurality of lower needle determines the looping process is standard plating or interchanged plating in accordance with the relative positions of the two yarns.

A cylinder and dial knitting machine includes a knitting gap, at least one feeder for feeding two yarns into the knitting gap, a plurality of upper needles, a plurality of lower needles, and a selector. The two yarns are interlaced at a narrowing point in the knitting gap. Each of the lower needles is controlled by the selector to have two narrowing states. Each of the lower needles has a hooking point in each of the two narrowing states. Two hooking points have different positions at the knitting gap, and the two hooking points have different distances to the narrowing point. Each of the lower needles is hooked at the two yarns at one of the two hooking points. Each of the plurality of lower needle determines the looping process is standard plating or interchanged plating in accordance with the relative positions of the two yarns.

A knitting system includes a seamless circular knitting machine. It has a circular set of needles having a particular number of needles (M), in the range of 500 to 2,500 needles, arranged in a circular pattern; and a knit controller to selectively operate each one of the needles on a needle-by-needle basis. The system includes a digital computational design tool, to receive a bitmap image, having a pixel width resolution that is identical to the particular number of needles; and based on analysis of the bitmap image, to generate and to send knitting instructions to the knit controller of the seamless circular knitting machine, based on direct correlation between (I) a particular Nth pixel in a particular Rth row of the bitmap image, and (II) needle activity of a corresponding particular Nth needle when said Nth needle knits the Rth row of a knitted product.

A knitting system includes a seamless circular knitting machine. It has a circular set of needles having a particular number of needles (M), in the range of 500 to 2,500 needles, arranged in a circular pattern; and a knit controller to selectively operate each one of the needles on a needle-by-needle basis. The system includes a digital computational design tool, to receive a bitmap image, having a pixel width resolution that is identical to the particular number of needles; and based on analysis of the bitmap image, to generate and to send knitting instructions to the knit controller of the seamless circular knitting machine, based on direct correlation between (I) a particular Nth pixel in a particular Rth row of the bitmap image, and (II) needle activity of a corresponding particular Nth needle when said Nth needle knits the Rth row of a knitted product.