KAPOK- Short, lightweight cotton-like
fibers from the .d pod of trees of the family
Bombacabeae. A very brittle fiber, it is generally not spun. It is used for
stuffing cushions,
mattresses,
etc., and for life jackets because of its buoyancy and moisture resistance.
KERATIN- The basic protein constituent
of wool and other hair fibers.
KERSEY- A heavily fulled or milled
woolen fabric having a high lustrous nap and a “grainy”
face,
kersey is frequently used in overcoats.
KHAKI- 1. A light yellowish brown. 2. A khaki-colored cloth of
cotton, wool, or combinations
of
these fibers with manufactured fibers used primarily in military uniforms and
workclothes.
KIER- A large metal tank, capable of
being heated uniformly, used for
wet
processing.
KIER BOILING- Process of boiling cellulosic
materials in alkaline
liquors
in a kier at or above atmospheric pressure.
KINK- 1. In fabrics, a place where a
short length of yarn has
spontaneously
doubled back on itself. 2. In yarn, . SNARL.
KINKING- The doubling back of yarn on
itself to relieve torque imparted
by
twisting or texturing.
KINKY THREAD- . KINK.
KNEE BREAK-OUT TEST- A method to evaluate the
performance of fabrics, especially boys’
wear,
when subjected to abrasion, stretch, and impact forces under conditions which
simulate
ordinary
wear at the knee.
KNEEING- Abnormal behavior of a spinning
threadline (especially in melt spinning) in which
one or
more filaments form an angle (knee).
KNIT-DE-KNIT- . TEXTURING, Knit-de-Knit
Method.
KNIT FABRIC- A structure produced by
interlooping one or more ends of yarn or comparable
material.
(Also . KNITTING.)
KNIT-MISS- A form of tricot knitting in
which yarns on each bar of a two-bar machine are knit
at
alternate courses only. This type of knitting permits the use of heavy-denier
yarns without
creating
undesirable bulkiness in the fabric.
KNITTING- A method of constructing fabric
by interlocking series of loops of one or more
yarns.
The two major classes of knitting are warp knitting and weft knitting, as
follows-
.
1. Warp Knitting- A type of knitting in which the
yarns generally run lengthwise in the fabric.
The
yarns are prepared as warps on beams with one or more yarns for each needle.
Examples of
this
type of knitting are tricot, milanese, and raschel knitting.
Milanese Knitting- A type of run-resistant warp
knitting with a diagonal rib effect using
several
sets of yarns.
Raschel Knitting- A versatile type of warp
knitting made in plain and Jacquard patterns;
the
latter can be made with intricate eyelet and lacy patterns and is often used
for
underwear
fabrics. Raschel fabrics are coarser than other warp-knit fabrics, but a wide
range
of fabrics can be made. Raschel knitting machines have one or two sets of latch
needles
and up to thirty sets of guides.
Tricot Knitting- A run-resistant type of warp
knitting in which either single or double
sets of
yarn are used. (Also . TRICOT.)
2. Weft Knitting- A common type of knitting, in
which one continuous thread runs crosswise in
the
fabric making all of the loops in one course. Weft knitting types are circular
and flat knitting.
Circular Knitting- The fabric is produced on the
knitting machine in the form of a tube,
the
threads running continuously around the fabric.
Flat Knitting- The fabric is produced on the
knitting machine in flat form, the threads
alternating
back and forth across the fabric. The fabric can be given shape in the knitting
process
by increasing or decreasing loops. Full-fashioned garments are made on a
flatknitting
machine.
(Also . FLAT-KNIT FABRIC.)
KRAFTCORD- This yarn produced by tightly
twisting plant fiber is sometimes used in carpet
backings.
KRAFT PULPS- Pulps prepared in the alkaline
liquor consisting of sodium hydroxide, sodium
carbonate,
and sodium sulfide. Also called sulfate pulp.
KRAFT YARN- A yarn made by twisting a strip
of paper manufactured from kraft pulp.
KROY® SHRINKPROOFING PROCESS- Continuous
process for shrinkproofing wool tops
in
which there is a direct chlorination step with no intervening chemical reaction
followed by
anti-chlorination
and neutralization. Provides better hand and strength than does conventional
shrinkproofing.
KUSTERS DYEING RANGE- Continuous dye range for
carpets. The
unit
wets the carpet, applies dyes and auxiliary chemicals by means of a
doctor
blade, fixes the dyes in a festoon steamer, and washes and dries
the
carpet in one pass through the range. An optional auxiliary unit may
be installed
to randomly drip selected dyes onto the background shade for
special
styling effects. This process is called TAK dyeing.