THE RACK STITCH—MAKING SHAPED COLLARS—OPPORTUNITIES IN DESIGNING FABRICS
THE rack stitch is used on many sweaters for a border on the bottom,
also for a narrow strip on both sides of the shoulder seam, and a strip
at the place the stitch changes from half cardigan to plain for the
cuff. Many sweaters have the collar and the border down the front made
separately in the rack stitch and sewed on. Most of the designs in the
knitted neckties made on flat machines are based on the rack stitch.
Another very important use for this stitch is in making a smooth sightly
edge on the bottom of sweaters, the ends of cuffs, etc.
The rack stitch is always made on one of the cardigans. From this
statement the reader will realize that this stitch is not made in place
of the half or full cardigan, or any other stitch but is an addition to,
or a further development of these stitches.
[Illustration: Fig. 30. Half Cardigan Stitch Ready to Rack.]
[Illustration: Fig. 31. Stitch After Plate Has Been Racked Over One
Needle.]
Fig. 30 shows a half cardigan stitch ready to rack, as it is customary
to make the one needle rack on this stitch. It should be noticed that
the racking is done on the course that holds, or does not cast the
previous stitch off on one side. Fig. 31 shows the stitch after the
plate has been racked over one needle. This illustration practically
explains the whole principle of the rack stitch. The rack will show on
the side that casts the stitches off the needles. It is customary to
hold the stitch or tuck on the back plate, therefore the rack shows on
the front side of the fabric, or the side toward the operator of the
machine.
Operation of Racking
It is understood, of course, that on a flat machine there must always be
an end needle on one plate or the other. Usually the knitter sets up his
machine with one plate carrying the end needle on one side of the work
and the other plate carrying the other end needle. Which end of the
respective plates carries this needle depends on the position of the
racking cam. In the illustration, Fig. 30, the front plate has the end
needle on the right and back plate has the end needle on the left. After
racking as in Fig. 31, these positions are reversed. It will be noted
that the front plate has been racked or moved over one needle so the
front needles will come up through and operate between the next two
needles to the left of their previous positions.
Or to explain it in a different way, in Fig. 30, before racking, the
front plate has the end needle on the right and operates outside of the
last needle in the back plate, but after racking, as in Fig. 31, this
end needle on the front plate has been shifted over so it comes up
inside the last needle in the back plate.
After racking over one needle there must be one full round or two
courses put on before racking again; that is while racking on the half
cardigan stitch, and then the plate is racked back to the first
position. This operation of racking first one way and then the other
with a round between each rack is continued until the necessary number
of racks are finished and then the operator proceeds with the plain half
cardigan.
This procedure would make a plain rack on one side of the fabric only.
We have assumed in this explanation that the back is stationary and the
front plate is the one that moves, but I wish to have it understood here
that it makes no difference which plate is stationary and which one
racks or is movable; the results are the same.
Some writers use the words shog or shogged in place of rack or racked,
but the writer of this work has avoided the use of these words as they
are seldom or never used by the practical knitter, at least not in this
country.
The Racking Mechanism
In most of the modern flat machines the plate that racks has enough end
clearance to rack over at least two needles, and some of them as many as
four, though racking two needles is sufficient for all ordinary work.
Fig. 32 shows the method of racking or moving the plate to make the rack
stitch, or at least this is the principle used as a rule on the imported
machines, with some modifications by some makers. This also applies to
the method shown of attaching the plates to the frame.
[Illustration: Fig. 32. The Racking Cam, Ratchet and Studs.]
There is a large flat bottom hole, _c_, bored about half way through the
plate; through the bottom of this hole there is made an elongated hole,
_b_, through which the plate is attached to the frame by the shouldered
screw, _a_, the head of which is flush with the top of the plate. It
will readily be seen that with this method the plate cannot be moved in
any direction except lengthwise of the plate, or crosswise of the
needles. To secure this movement at will there is a steel strap, _d_,
attached to the under side of the plate by the screws _j_ and _k_, and
through the outside end of this strap there are two elongated holes
through which are attached two shouldered studs with nuts _e_ and _f_.
These studs extend down on both sides of the steps of the racking cam,
_g_, and together with the plate are moved back and forth by the steps
on the racking cam. The cam is moved by the handle, _i_, in the hand
machines, or by the ratchet, _h_, being operated by pawls or dogs in
power machines.
The letter _h_ shows a front elevation of the ratchet, while _i_ is a
side view. It will be noted that there are only three teeth on each
side, and these two groups are opposed one to the other. If the reader
will examine the racking cam, _g_, with due thought the reason for this
will be obvious. There are three steps on the cam and the cam must have
an oscillating movement and not a rotary one. The ratchet, _h_, and the
racking cam, _g_, are both attached securely to one hub, therefore must
move together on a stud which projects from the end of the frame.
The plate as illustrated in Fig. 32, sets at the limit of its movement
to the left, consequently any racking that is to be done must move the
plate to the right, therefore the pawl at the top of the ratchet would
engage the uppermost tooth, _q_, and turning the ratchet one tooth would
move the racking cam one step, thus moving the plate over one needle
through its contact with the studs, _e_ and _f_. There are two pawls,
upper and lower, arranged to engage the teeth on the ratchet either at
the top or the bottom as required. If we wanted a one-needle rack only,
after putting on one round of stitches we would have the lower pawl
engage the tooth, _n_, of the ratchet and move the racking cam back to
its first position. If, however, we wanted a two-needle rack, the upper
pawl would engage the second tooth, _o_, of the ratchet. For three racks
it would then engage the next tooth, _m_, after which it would be
necessary to start on the return to the first position, remembering to
put on one course or one round, as the case may be, of stitches between
each rack. If racking on the half cardigan stitch there should be one
full round between the racks, but if on the full cardigan the racking
may be done every half round or every course, as will be explained
hereafter.
Fig. 33 is a photographic reproduction of a piece of fabric, face and
back, of a one-needle rack which shows on one side of the fabric only. A
fabric with the two-needle rack which would show on both sides of the
fabric is not illustrated, for it would be the same on both sides as the
face side of Fig. 33. A line drawing of the rack stitch is shown at Fig.
34. This is drawn out of proportion and is very loose and not like the
fabric, but by making it this way the direction the yarn takes may be
easily located.
[Illustration: Fig. 33. Face and Back of One-Needle Rack.]
[Illustration: Fig. 34. Position of Stitch After Racking.]
The Zig-Zag Stitch
Fig. 35 is an example of a fabric that may be made with a one-needle
rack. It is called the zig-zag stitch. To make this the machine should
be set to make the full cardigan stitch. After setting up the machine
and putting on one round, the needle plate is racked over one needle,
put on a course or half round and rack back one needle. Continue this
racking back and forth on each course for five rounds, then skip one
rack or put on one full round without racking and continue as before.
Repeat this operation of racking every course for five rounds and then
skip one rack and we have a zig-zag stitch.
[Illustration: Fig. 35. Zig-Zag Stitch.]
The points come where the rack is skipped, or in other words the
direction of the diagonal stitch will continue in the same direction as
long as the needle plate is racked every course without skipping, but
immediately one rack is missed the stitch starts diagonally in the other
direction. It is obvious from the foregoing explanation that the knitter
is not obliged to use any set number of courses between the change, but
may use any number at his discretion to get the distance desired between
the points.
* * * * *
Shaped Collar for Sweaters
The peculiar characteristic of this stitch is utilized in making a
shaped collar for sweaters, as shown in Figs. 38 and 39. First let the
reader remember that the direction the diagonal stitch takes all depends
on which end of the machine the carriage is at when the racking
operation begins. It should be understood that the collars are made in a
long string and the three parts, as shown in Fig. 38, are duplicated one
after another. On either end, where this piece has been cut off, there
was a duplicate of the plain racked piece shown at the middle, and at
the end of these there was another diagonal piece, and so on from the
beginning to the end.
[Illustration: Fig. 38. Shaped Collar for Sweaters as Knit.]
It should be clear to the reader that if the piece shown (Fig. 38) were
cut through on the broken lines we would have one complete collar and we
would have left the diagonal stitch that belongs on one end of each of
the two adjoining center pieces, therefore by cutting all the collars
apart at the point indicated by the line we would have our collars
shaped without any waste and would have a selvage or finished edge on
the outside.
[Illustration: Fig. 39. Shaped Collar Folded.]
The collar is stitched or sewed on the neck opening of the sweater along
the cut edge and across the bottom of the racked center piece, and after
it is finished and the sweater coat buttoned up it folds over and looks
as shown in Fig. 39. As stated before this collar can be made on a
machine that racks over only one needle, but in that case the center
piece would be racked on one side only, therefore it is customary to
make these collars on a two needle rack machine with the middle portion
racked on both sides as will be noted in Fig. 39.
Making a rack on both sides of the fabric is very much like making the
diagonal stitch in the operation of the machine, even though the
resultant fabric is so radically different. It should be made with a
full cardigan stitch same as the zig-zag or diagonal, and the needle
plate must be racked every course or half round, but with this
difference: When making the diagonal stitch the needle plate is racked
over one needle and back again, while to rack both sides of the fabric
the needle plate is racked over two needles. This does not mean that the
knitter should rack over two needles at once, for this should never be
done, but rack over one needle, let us say to the right, then put on one
course and rack over the second needle to the right, put on one course
and rack one needle to the left, put on one course and rack the second
needle to the left. Or in other words, rack alternately two needles to
the right and left and put on one course or half round each time the
needle plate is racked one needle.
There is one other point that should be remembered in making this collar
and that is the manner of starting the diagonal stitch in the proper
direction after finishing in the middle portion. Each time this part is
finished the diagonal stitch should go in the opposite way from the
previous time, therefore when the one needle half round rack starts to
make this stitch the first rack should be made with the carriage on the
opposite side of the machine from which the previous one was started.
Opportunity for Varying Designs
Fig. 37 is an interesting example of what may be done with the
two-needle rack. Designs of this character require the removal or
pulling down out of operation of every other needle, therefore a machine
of any given cut, or needles per inch, would be in reality only half as
fine as cut and would necessitate the use of a heavier or larger yarn.
[Illustration: Fig. 37. Basket Weave Design Made With the Rack.]
To make the fabric shown in Fig. 37 pull down or remove every other
needle in the front plate. Then pull down or remove every other needle
in the back plate for five needles, then leave two needles together and
remove every other needle for five more, leave two needles together and
continue as before until the full width of needles in working position
are as follows: Every other needle down out of working position in the
front plate, and every other one down in groups of five with two needles
together between these groups in the back plate.
We will find by this arrangement that when we rack the plate over one
needle, every second group of five needles in the back plate will rack
across a needle of the front plate, but the other groups will simply
move between the needles in the front plate, therefore will make a plain
half cardigan stitch only, while the other groups will make a rack
stitch. If this operation were continued in this way, racking one needle
only back and forth, we would get a fabric with vertical stripes of
alternating plain half cardigan and rack stitch. But if we rack back and
forth one needle each round for ten rounds, then rack over the second
needle and rack back and forth one needle in this position, we will find
that the groups of five needles that were racking in the first instance
are now making the plain half cardigan stitch, and the groups that were
at first making the plain are now racking.
[Illustration: Fig. 36. Designs Made with Rack Stitch.]
An ingenious knitter can make an almost unlimited number of designs of
this character by different arrangements of his needles and a variation
of the timing of his racks. One thing which should be remembered is that
all racking should be done on the course that tucks or holds two
stitches when racking on the half cardigan. On the full cardigan both
courses are tucked, therefore it does not matter which one is racked,
only the side of the fabric on which the rack shows is dependent upon
which course the plate is racked.
The design shown in Fig. 36 at _a_ is simply a zig-zag stitch with three
needles taken out of the back plate at short intervals, giving these
places a piping effect. The fabric at _b_ is a plain one-needle rack
with the piping made in the same manner.
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