Basic Knitting Elements

There are 3 Basic Knitting elements. They are:

1. Needle
2. Sinker
3. Cam 

Needle:

Function of Needle: Needle is raised to clear the old loop from the hook & to receive the new loop above it on the needle stem.

Types of Needle: In general there are 3 types of needles. They are

1. Latch needle
2. Breaded needle
3. Compound needle

According to the butt position latch needles are 4 types:

1. One butt latch needle
2. Two butt latch needle
3. Three butt latch needle
4. Four butt latch needle

CAM:

Cams are the device that convert the rotary drive into a suitable reciprocating action for the needles or other elements.

Types of cam: There are 2 types of cam. They are: 

· Engineering cam

· Knitting cam

1.  Knit cam
2.  Tuck cam
3.  Miss cam

Function of cam: The function of cam is given below

1. Produce motion of needles
2. Drive the needle
3. Formation of loop

Sinker:

This is the secondary knitting element. It is a thin metal plate with an individual and collective action approximately at right angles from the hook side between adjoining needles.  

Function of sinker: The functions of sinker are given below:

1. Loop formation
2. Holding down
3. Knocking over