Knitwear (foreign name: knitwear) is a type of garment made from yarn, knitted by looping needles. It is mainly produced in Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces. Production processes are divided into two main categories: weft knitting and warp knitting. Raw materials include wool, cotton, and synthetic fibers. It features excellent breathability, high elasticity, and wrinkle resistance, and is widely used in underwear, outerwear, and home décor. Wool and cashmere sweaters are classified according to yarn type: woolen knit, worsted knit, and semi-worsted knit. Based on the raw material ratio, they can be divided into pure wool, wool blends, pure cashmere, and cashmere blends.
Modern knitwear uses brushing and napping techniques to enhance its crispness and functionality. Styles include stripes, openwork, batwing sleeves, and more. For daily washing, hand wash in cold water and lay flat to air dry. For storage, folding is recommended to prevent deformation. China's knitwear production accounts for 69.25% of total garment production. In the first half of 2025, knitwear exports increased by 9.97% year-on-year, with Europe and the United States accounting for a significant portion of the major export markets. Exports from Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces have steadily increased. Wool (cashmere) sweaters must have their fiber content clearly labeled. When purchasing, it's recommended to check the hangtag information and the feel of the actual product.
Generally speaking, knitwear refers to garments woven using knitting equipment. Therefore, clothes woven from wool yarn, cotton yarn, and various synthetic fibers generally fall under the category of knitwear, including sweaters. Even what people commonly call undershirts and stretch shirts are actually knitted, hence the term "knitted T-shirt." However, due to habit, many people mistakenly consider knitwear to be ordinary thin wool sweaters, which is a significant misconception.
Knitting is divided into two categories: hand knitting and machine knitting. Most items sold in the market are machine-knitted. Purely handmade items are usually home-knitted sweaters, gloves, hats, etc., and generally don't reach the market due to the high cost of manual labor and the inability to achieve mass production. Modern technology utilizes synthetic chemical fibers and finishing processes to improve the crispness, wrinkle-free properties, and abrasion resistance of knitted fabrics. The application of finishing techniques such as brushing, napping, shearing, embossing, and pleating further enriches the variety of knitted products. These types of clothing come in a variety of colors and patterns and are durable.
