Preform and knitted tubular item having a retaining edge of a single thickness and method of producing such an item
The method of producing a tubular knitted item ( 10 ), in particular a leg for a pair of tights, involves preceding the normal basic knit with a start that involves knitting, on only a portion of the needles on p first courses ( 11, 12 ) and on all of the needles on q subsequent courses ( 13, 14 ), an elastane yarn ( 21 ) covered with a water-soluble yarn ( 22 ); then, once the item has been knitted, the item undergoes an aqueous treatment, for example combined with dyeing, so as to make the water-soluble yarn ( 22 ) covering disappear, whereby the p+q courses ( 11 - 14 ) of knitted elastane that precede the normal basic knit are kept on the edge of the item.
1. A method of producing a knitted tubular item on a circular knitting machine comprising a plurality of needles and one or more feeders, the method comprising:
knitting a first plurality of courses of elastane yarn covered with a water-soluble yarn using less than all of the plurality of needles;
after knitting the first plurality of courses, knitting a second plurality of courses of elastane yarn covered with a water-soluble yarn using all of the plurality of needles;
after knitting the second plurality of courses, knitting a third plurality of courses; and
once the tubular item has been knitted, applying an aqueous treatment to the first plurality of courses and the second plurality of courses in such a manner as to make the water-soluble yarn disappear, leaving a bare knitted elastane at the first plurality of courses and the second plurality of courses.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: applying a dyeing treatment to at least a portion of the knitted tubular item in a combined operation with the aqueous treatment.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous treatment for making the water-soluble yarn disappear comprising washing the knitted tubular item.
4. A preform of a circularly knitted tubular item comprising:
a border region comprising a first plurality of courses followed by a second plurality of courses, each of the first plurality of courses comprising less yarn than each of the second plurality of courses; and
a body region comprising third plurality of courses,
wherein the first plurality of courses and the second plurality of courses comprise an elastane yarn covered with a water-soluble yarn.
5. A circularly knitted tubular item comprising
a border region comprising a first plurality of courses followed by a second plurality of courses, each of the first plurality of courses comprising less yarn than each of the second plurality of courses; and
a body region comprising a third plurality of courses,
wherein the first plurality of courses and the second plurality of courses consist of bare, uncovered elastane yarn.
6. The knitted tubular item according to claim 5 , wherein the elastane yarn is of a numbering less than 20 dtex.
7. The knitted tubular item according to claim 5 , wherein the elastane yarn is composed of more than 20 filaments.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein knitting the first plurality of courses comprises knitting at least one course using one out of every four needles.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein knitting the first plurality of courses further comprises knitting at least one course using one out of every two needles.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble yarn comprises a PVA yarn.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of courses comprises at least two courses, and wherein the second plurality of courses comprises at least two courses.
12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the elastane yarn is of a numbering less than 20 dtex and is composed of more than 20 filaments.
13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein knitting the third plurality of courses comprises knitting at least one course of a yarn comprising polyamide.
14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein knitting the third plurality of courses comprises using at least a portion of the plurality of needles to implement a jersey stitch knitting pattern.
15. The preform according to claim 4 , wherein the water-soluble yarn comprises a PVA yarn.
16. The preform according to claim 4 , wherein the elastane yarn is of a numbering less than 20 dtex and is composed of more than 20 filaments.
17. The preform according to claim 4 , wherein the third plurality of courses comprises at least one course including a polyamide yarn knitted in a jersey stitch pattern.
18. The knitted tubular item according to claim 5 , wherein the elastane yarn is of a numbering less than 20 dtex and is composed of more than 20 filaments.
19. The knitted tubular item according to claim 5 , wherein the third plurality of courses comprises at least one course including a polyamide yarn knitted in a jersey stitch pattern.