Rachel Knit Fabric

Raschel fabric is a type of warp-knitted fabric made on a special knitting machine by taking threads from the warp beam. The process involves specialized kinds of latch needles. The front side of the fabric features slightly inclined vertical knitting loops, whereas the back side shows inclined horizontal floats.

A few of the distinctive features of Raschel knits are that they have a lacelike, open construction, with a heavy, textured yarn held in place by a much finer yarn. Raschel fabric usually has limited stretch and can be made in various types, from fragile to coarse.

Raschel Knit Fabric Characteristics

• Raschel knitting machines produce flat and tubular warp-knit fabrics similar to crochet and lace.
• Raschel knit fabric can contain inlaid yarns and vertical rows of stitches.
• The fabrics are like tricot knitting but more open and with a rugged texture.
• The fabric is one of the most common warp knittings, possesses greater dimensional stability than weft knit materials, and is less likely to sag or ravel easily.

Types Of Raschel Knit Fabrics

Raschel warp knit machines generate fabrics in more diverse designs and textures than tricot warp knit machines. Some raschel knit fabrics are single-faced, while others have reversible sides. With a huge variety of yarns, ranging from smooth and tightly spun yarns to novelty yarns, raschel knitting machines can produce a wide range of fabrics. The resultant fabrics vary tremendously from lightweight lace to heavy chenille, from fancy embroidery to coarse texture. They all exhibit a little stretch and hold their shapes well.

Raschel Knit Fabrics Usage

Raschel knit fabrics are popularly known for their intricate designs and the open-space look of crochet or lace. They have an almost three-dimensional surface effect design. They are mostly used in sportswear and athleisure. Raschel knit fabric also features good draping qualities and is frequently used as an unlined material for coats, dresses and lingerie.

Raschel knits made from heavier yarns are used for manufacturing versatile and flexible fabrics. These are more textured and find end use in a wide range of technical textile applications such as chemical fibre garments, automotive textiles, home textiles, lingerie, mosquito nets, technical and medical net textiles, lightweight coating substrates, sportswear and swimwear, lining fabrics, outerwear etc.