368
Tekstilec, 2025, Vol. 68(4), 368–382   |   DOI: 10.14502/tekstilec.68.2025117 
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Nadiia P . Bukhonka
University of Novi Sad Technical Faculty "Mihajlo Pupin" Zrenjanin, Djure Djakovica bb,
Zrenjanin, 23101, Serbia
Influence of Tuck Stitch Variations on the Stretch 
Properties of Wool/PAN Single Weft-Knitted Fabrics
Vpliv različic razporeditve lovilnih petelj na raztezne lastnosti levo-desnih 
votkovnih pletiv iz mešanice volna/PAN
Original scientific article/Izvirni znanstveni članek
Received/Prispelo 10–2025 • Accepted/Sprejeto 12–2025
Corresponding author/Korespondenčna avtorica:
Nadiia P . Bukhonka
E-mail: nadiia.bukhonka@tfzr.rs; nbukhonka@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2753-2440
Abstract
This study examines the stretch properties of nine variants of single-tuck weft-knitted fabrics made from 31 
tex ×2 wool/PAN yarn and compares them with a plain fabric. The research emphasizes how variations in the 
arrangement and percentage of tuck loops within the stitch repeat affect the fabrics' stretch characteristics. 
Results show that the presence and percentage of tuck loops at the width repeat significantly influence 
stretch properties. The plain fabric displayed apparent anisotropy, with widthwise deformation roughly four 
times greater than lengthwise deformation. This behaviour was largely dominated by the elastic component,
indicating strong immediate recovery and dimensional stability. In contrast, tuck stitch variants showed more 
balanced deformation between directions, reflecting the moderating influence of tuck loops on fabric ani-
sotropy. Increasing the percentage of tuck loops improved lengthwise extensibility while decreasing width-
wise recovery, thereby altering elastic and residual deformation behaviour. The analysis of deformation com-
ponents revealed that tuck loops decrease the elastic deformation ratio and increase delayed and residual 
deformation, suggesting greater stress relaxation and a higher permanent set. These results highlight the 
sensitive interplay between the presence and combination of knit and tuck loops and their effects on loop 
configuration and fabric mechanics. The results thus confirm that the controlled use of tuck stitches provides 
a practical approach to optimizing fabric performance in terms of stretch, recovery and stability, thereby of-
fering valuable insights for designing functional and high-performance knitted textiles.
Keywords: tuck stitches, stretch properties, wool, single weft-knit
Izvleček
V raziskavi so bile proučene raztezne lastnosti devetih različic levo-desnih lovilnih votkovnih pletiv in primer-
jane z lastnostmi enostavnega levo-desnega pletiva. Pletiva so bila izdelana iz preje z dolžinsko maso 31 tex 
× 2, iz mešanice volna/PAN. V raziskavi se je ugotavljal vpliv različic razporeditve in deleža lovilnih petelj (Tn) 
v sosledju na raztezne lastnosti pletiv. Enostavna pletena struktura kaže izrazito anizotropijo; deformacija v 
prečni smeri je približno štirikrat večja kot v vzdolžni smeri. Pri takšnem obnašanju pletiva pretežno prevladuje 

Influence of Tuck Stitch Variations on the Stretch Properties of Wool/PAN Single Weft-Knitted Fabrics
369
elastična komponenta deformacije (E1), kar kaže na visoko takojšnjo elastično povratnost in dobro dimenzij-
sko stabilnost. Nasprotno pa strukture z različno razporejenimi lovilnimi petljami kažejo bolj uravnoteženo 
deformacijo v obeh smereh, kar pomeni zmeren vpliv lovilnih petelj na anizotropijo pletiva. Z naraščajočim 
deležem lovilnih petelj se povečuje razteznost v vzdolžni smeri, hkrati pa se zmanjšuje elastična povratnost 
v prečni smeri, kar vpliva na spremembo razmerja med elastično in trajno deformacijo. Analiza komponent 
deformacije je pokazala, da lovilne petlje zmanjšujejo delež elastične deformacije (E1/E) ter povečujejo delež 
zakasnele (E2/E) in trajne deformacije (E3/E), kar kaže na večjo sprostitev napetosti in večjo trajno deformacijo 
pletiv. Rezultati poudarjajo ključen vzajemni učinek zank in lovilnih petelj ter njihov vpliv na konfiguracijo 
zančne strukture in mehanske lastnosti pletiv. Rezultati raziskave potrjujejo, da je nadzorovana uporaba 
lovilnih petelj učinkovit pristop k optimizaciji uporabnih lastnosti pletiv, kot so razteznost, povratnost in di-
menzijska stabilnost, ki so pomembne za razvoj funkcionalnih in visokozmogljivih pletenih tekstilij.
Ključne besede: lovilne petlje, raztezne lastnosti, volna/PAN, levo-desno votkovno pletivo
1 Introduction
Knitting is recognized as the second most versatile 
technique in textile manufacturing, surpassed only 
by weaving, where the choice and arrangement of 
stitches are among the most important factors in 
defining a fabric’s characteristics [1]. Knitted fabrics 
are highly valued for their stretchability, flexibility 
and unique elastic properties, making them suitable 
for a wide range of uses, from clothing to technical 
textiles. These qualities primarily depend on the 
basic knitting elements, such as knit, miss (float) and 
tuck loops, and how they are arranged in single- and 
double-knit structures. Changes in these structural 
parts significantly affect fabric width, elasticity and 
overall performance, highlighting their important 
role in knitted fabric design [2, 3].
Tuck loops, together with knit and miss (float) 
loops, are essential structural features due to their 
distinctive loop shapes, which promote greater yarn 
movement, interloop spacing and porosity. Initial 
studies on composite uses revealed that tuck stitches 
in fabric significantly influence mechanical proper-
ties, including tensile, compressive and impact resis-
tance. The unique geometry of tuck stitches allows 
for lateral stretch but can reduce overall dimensional 
stability [4]. Understanding the influence of knitted 
fabric structure on its properties can be based on 
geometrical modelling. This approach has shown 
that adding tuck stitches enhances the predictabil-
ity of fabric structure and mechanical behaviour, 
highlighting their significance in creating complex 
knitted designs [5].
In both basic and derivative knitted structures, 
tuck loops generally increase fabric weight and 
thickness while enhancing dimensional stability [6, 
7]. Tuck stitches significantly affect the structural and 
physical characteristics of knitted fabrics, resulting in 
higher weight, width and porosity than in single jer-
sey fabrics. The number and placement of tuck loops 
and stitch length are critical factors that affect these 
properties and pilling resistance. Fabrics with larger, 
more numerous pores tend to resist pilling better, 
whereas single jersey fabrics usually have the lowest 
resistance. Dyeing and finishing processes also add to 
fabric weight but tend to decrease pilling resistance 
[8]. In circular knitting, the number and placement 
of tuck loops significantly affect bursting strength, 
with well-designed placements improving durability 
and performance. The results confirm that the precise 
placement of the tuck loop can significantly enhance 
the structural integrity of knitted fabrics [9]. Addi-
tionally, the contraction behaviour of weft-knit fabrics 
depends heavily on stitch type, stitch length and the 
placement of tuck and miss loops. Longer stitch 
lengths reduce widthwise contraction, while fabrics 

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Tekstilec, 2025, Vol. 68(4), 368–382 
with miss loops show greater contraction than those 
with tuck loops. Single miss-knit fabrics display 
less contraction than plain structures at the same 
course length. The proper positioning of tuck and 
miss loops within a pattern is therefore crucial for 
controlling dimensional stability [10]. Variations in 
the number and placement of tuck loops, as well as 
their combination with knit and miss loops, signifi-
cantly influence dimensional properties, mechanical 
behaviour under low stress and overall structural 
performance [11‒15]. Different stitch combinations, 
combining knit, tuck and miss loops, affect key 
physical properties such as areal density, thickness, 
air permeability, drape, stretch and recovery, and 
shrinkage, even under consistent knitting condi-
tions. The addition of tuck and float knit structures 
significantly alters fabric drape [12]. Tuck loops have 
been shown to increase areal density, porosity, resis-
tance to pilling, drape coefficient and fabric width, 
while maintaining dimensional stability, although 
they have little effect on colour fastness [16]. Beyond 
mechanical qualities, tuck structure design also 
influences aesthetic and tactile properties. When 
combined with other knit structures, such as eyelet, 
mesh or crochet, it facilitates diverse surface textures 
and visual effects, including concave-convex pat-
terns and colour variations. This versatility enables 
designers to incorporate artistic expression, yarn 
choices and fashion trends into functional knitwear, 
blending performance with decorative appeal. 
Increasing tuck loops per wale reduces fabric width, 
affects shrinkage and spirality, and increases areal 
density, highlighting the importance of controlling 
tuck loops to optimise both performance and visual 
properties [17]. Moreover, tuck structures are im-
portant in the performance of weft-knitted strain 
sensors. Increasing the proportion of tuck loops low-
ers both initial and average resistance and improves 
the linearity of the piezoresistive response. This 
suggests that tuck loop configurations can be used to 
customize the electromechanical behaviour of knit-
ted sensors, thereby enhancing their sensitivity for 
applications such as human motion detection [18]. 
The number of tuck and miss stitches significantly 
affects the properties of knitted fabric. Increasing 
their proportion reduces stretchability in both width 
and length, and decreases surface density. Tuck and 
miss stitches also reduce material usage, while miss 
stitches improve shape stability. Their most notable 
effect is on surface density, followed by volume 
density [19].
The placement and quantity of tuck loops sig-
nificantly affect the thermo-physiological comfort 
of bi-layer knitted fabrics. Properly positioning tuck 
loops along the wale enhances air, heat and moisture 
transfer, while also decreasing fabric thickness and 
mass per unit area. This results in better thermal 
conductivity, air permeability, moisture absorption, 
drying speed and overall comfort. Fabrics with 
fewer tuck loops generally offer improved thermal 
comfort, as supported by objective tests and wearing 
trials [20]. Additionally, the ratio of knit to tuck 
loops significantly influences both physical and 
sensory comfort. Structure composition affects areal 
density, stitch density, thickness, resilience, softness, 
drape and wrinkle recovery. By carefully balancing 
knit and tuck loops, it is possible to achieve desired 
mechanical properties and increased comfort, em-
phasizing the importance of stitch design in creating 
multifunctional knitted fabrics [21]. Stress relaxation 
in knitted textiles is a time-dependent process where 
internal stresses diminish under sustained strain, 
which is important for applications such as com-
pression garments and medical bandages that need 
consistent pressure. Including tuck loops in double 
jersey weft-knitted fabrics has been shown to reduce 
both initial and residual stress, thereby enhancing 
long-term performance stability.
This study systematically examines the effect of 
tuck stitch variations on the stretch behaviour of sin-
gle weft-knitted fabrics made from a wool/PAN with 
50% wool and 50% polyacrylonitrile fibres in the 
yarn. By implementing alternating tuck and plain 
courses and comparing them with traditional plain 
stitch, the research aims to clarify the relationship 
between stitch variants and fabric stretchability. This 

Influence of Tuck Stitch Variations on the Stretch Properties of Wool/PAN Single Weft-Knitted Fabrics
371
approach provides a better understanding of how 
tuck variants influence the structural changes that 
impact the mechanical and dimensional properties 
of knitted textiles. The findings are expected to pro-
vide a scientific foundation for optimizing knitting 
design parameters and offer practical guidance for 
creating high-performance knitted fabrics that 
balance durability, elasticity, comfort and aesthetic 
appeal.
2 Materials and methods
2.1 Materials
This study focuses on nine variants of single tuck 
fabrics (variants 2–10) and one plain fabric (variant 
1) (Table 1). Each tuck stitch structure consists of 
one course of plain stiches (formed by the first yarn 
feeder), followed by one course of single tuck stitch-
es (formed by the second yarn feeder). The knitted 
samples were produced on a 10-gauge flat V-bed 
knitting machine using a wool/PAN yarn containing 
50% wool and 50% polyacrylonitrile (PAN) of 31 
tex ×2. Throughout the knitting process, the stitch 
cam settings, yarn tension and fabric take-down 
were kept constant. Before knitting, the yarn was 
pre-treated with a 0.5% wax finish [22].
The tuck stitch index is set to one. The structure 
of the tuck stitch (Figure 1) consists of knit loops, 
which can appear as extended help loops (1) with 
tuck loops (2), and unextended knit loops (3). The 
head of the tuck loop is located on the reverse side of 
the fabric (the technical back). The unextended knit 
loops (3), which are located near the held loop with 
the tuck loop, usually have less height and a wider 
width, resembling a -shape, compared to conven-
tional knit loops, which are shown in the photo of 
the technical face side of the tuck stitch variant 2 
(Figure 1a).
The studied variants of the single tuck stitches 
consist of a tuck loop produced over one, two or 
three adjacent needles, while various combinations 
of knit (m) and tuck (n) loops at the width repeat R
b
 
define the tuck stitch variants. The number of knit 
(m) and tuck (n) loops in the tuck stitch structures 
across the fabric width can likewise be one, two or 
three. Different combinations of knit (m) and tuck 
(n) loops produced variations of the tuck stitches 
2‒10. 
Table 1: Graphical notations and visual illustrations of the single-knitted fabrics
Variants 
of fabric
T
n
 
a) 
(%)
Graphical notation of the repeat at 
height, R
h
Illustration of the view of the structure from the side
Technical face Technical back
1 0
2 50
3 66.6

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Tekstilec, 2025, Vol. 68(4), 368–382 
4 75
5 33.3
6 50
7 60
8 25
9 40
10 50
a)
 percentage of tuck loops

Influence of Tuck Stitch Variations on the Stretch Properties of Wool/PAN Single Weft-Knitted Fabrics
373
a) b)
Figure 1: Illustration and photos of the technical face of tuck stitch knitted fabric variant 2:
 a) technical face, b) technical back (1 - held loop, 2 - tuck loop, 3 - knit loop)
The percentage of tuck loops within the tuck 
stitch repeat across the fabric width (T
n
) was calcu-
lated using the following equation:
T
n 
=
 
n
m + n
 × 100 [%] (1),
where m represents the number of knit loops within 
the tuck stitch repeat across the width R
b
, and n 
represents the number of tuck loops within the tuck 
stitch repeat across the width R
b
.
2.2 Methods
Relaxation conditions
Following the knitting process, the fabrics were 
conditioned under standard atmospheric conditions 
for testing, in accordance with ISO 139:2005 [23]. 
They were then washed in a fully automatic domestic 
washing machine using the wool cycle, as prescribed 
by ISO 6330:2021 [24].
Average stitch length
The stitch length of the knitted fabric was measured 
separately for plain and tuck stitches, and expressed 
as the average yarn length per stitch, in accordance 
with the EN 14970:2006 [25] and GOST 8846-87 
[26] standards. Measurements were conducted over 
a section containing 50 wales. Each reported value 
represents the mean of twenty individual measure-
ments for both the plain stitch length () and the tuck 
stitch length (). The overall average stitch length 
() was then calculated from the individual stitch 
lengths using the following equation:
l
a 
=
 
l p + l
t
2
  [mm] (2)
Stretch characteristics
The stretch characteristics of the single-tuck and plain 
stitches were measured by determining full, elastic, 
delayed and residual deformations, together with 
their contributors, according to GOST 8847-85 [27].

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Tekstilec, 2025, Vol. 68(4), 368–382 
For determining the stretch characteristic, a 
“rack” relaxometer was used to conduct a “loading–
unloading-rest” cycle [13, 14]. During testing, the 
samples were loaded with 6 N for 60 minutes. The 
samples were then unloaded and given a 120-minute 
rest period (Figure 2). Fabric specimens, each 50 
mm wide and 200 mm long, were first clamped at a 
gauge length of 100 mm (L₀). The displayed results 
represent the averages of five samples for each direc-
tion (in length and width).
The lengthwise and widthwise stretch character-
istics were calculated using the following formula:
a) full deformation (E):
E
 
=
 
L
1
 − L
0
L
0
 × 100 [%] (3),
where L
0
 represents the initial length of the speci-
men, mm (L
0 
= 100 mm) and L
1
 represents the length 
of the specimen after 60 minutes of loading in mm.
b) elastic deformation (E
1
):
E
1
 
=
 
L
1
 − L
2
L
0
 × 100 [%] (4),
where L
2
 represents the length of the specimen just 
after unloading in mm.
c) delayed deformation (E
2
):
E
2
 
=
 
L
2
 − L
3
L
0
 × 100 [%] (5),
where L
3
 represents the length of the specimen after 
resting in mm.
d) residual deformation (E
3
):
E
3
 
=
 
L
3
 − L
0
L
0
 × 100 [%] (6)
Based on the full, elastic, delayed and residual 
deformations, the contributions of each component 
to the full deformation, such as E
1
/E, E
2
/E, and E
3
/E, 
was calculated.
Figure 2: Specimen`s length changes of the plain (vari-
ant 1) within the cycle of “loading-unloading-resting” 
in both directions
Statistical analysis
The data were analysed statistically using the Stu-
dent’s t-test for independent samples, following the 
formula below:
(7),
where x
1
 and x
2
 represent the samples’ mean values 
of the determined characteristic, σ
1 
and σ
2
 represent 
the sample’s standard deviation of the determined 
characteristic and n
1 
and n
2 
represent their corre-
sponding sample sizes (n
1 
= n
2
 = 5).
4 Results and discussion
Stitch length
The different tuck stitch variants directly influence 
stitch length by affecting the number of knit and tuck 
loops within each stitch repeat (Figure 3). Although 
the knitting machine’s settings remained constant 
during production, the plain stitch length (l
p
) of the 
fabric variants changed by up to around 5%, except 
for variant 8, which deviated by 10.7%. The tuck 
stitch length (l
t
) depends on both the number and 

Influence of Tuck Stitch Variations on the Stretch Properties of Wool/PAN Single Weft-Knitted Fabrics
375
arrangement of the knit and tuck loops. When the 
number of knit loops (m) increases from 1 to 3 with 
a constant number of tuck loops (n), the tuck stitch 
length (l
t
) increases proportionally. The relationship 
between the average stitch length (l
a
) is linear (Figure 
3), with an increase of 69.3%, when the percentage of 
tuck loops (T
n
) reaches 75%.
y = 0.05 Tn + 6.59
R² = 0.63
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
0 20 40 60 80
Average stitch length (mm)
Percentage of tuck loops (%)
Figure 3: Dependence of average stitch length (l
a
) and 
the percentage of tuck loops (T
n
) in the tuck stitch 
repeat
Stretch characteristics
The results of the lengthwise and widthwise stretch 
characteristics of the single-tuck knitted fabrics are 
presented in Tables 2 and 3, respectively.
A specimen’s length variations of the plain (vari-
ant 1) throughout the “loading-unloading-resting” 
cycle in both directions are illustrated in Figure 2.
An analysis of the stretch characteristics of the 
plain fabric reveals that the material exhibits signif-
icant anisotropic behaviour, with total deformation 
in the widthwise direction (205.8%) exceeding that 
in the lengthwise direction (48.0%) by a factor of 
four (Tables 2 and 3). In tuck stitch variants (variants 
2-10), this trend is less noticeable and varies depend-
ing on the specific tuck stitch variant. In both plain 
fabric orientations, the elastic component (E
1
) pre-
dominates, accounting for approximately 60–62% 
of the overall deformation, indicating the fabric’s 
substantial capacity to revert to its original dimen-
sions upon load removal. The delayed (E
2
) compo-
nent accounts for 29–32% of the total deformation, 
indicative of viscoelastic behaviour associated with 
gradual yarn relaxation. Meanwhile, the residual 
(E
3
) component remains low at 7.5–8.6%, which 
confirms the fabric’s good dimensional stability.
Table 2: Lengthwise stretch characteristics of knitted fabrics after washing
Fabric 
variants
T
n
 
a)
 (%) m-n 
b)
l
a
 
c) 
(mm)
Deformations (%) and their contributors
E 
d)
E
1
 
e)
E
2
 
f)
E
3
 
g)
E
1
/E 
h)
E
2
/E 
i)
E
3
/E 
j)
1 0 1-0 6.45 ± 0.16 48.0 ± 4.5 29.0 ± 3.9 15.4 ± 0.9 3.6 ± 1.1 0.60 0.32 0.07
2 50 1-1 8.16 ± 0.39 88.8 ± 4.1 47.6 ± 4.0 27.8 ± 1.5 13.4 ± 1.1 0.54 0.31 0.15
3 66.6 1-2 8.51 ± 0.31 80.8 ± 8.7 41.6 ± 6.3 22.0 ± 1.6 17.2 ± 3.6 0.51 0.28 0.21
4 75 1-3 10.92 ± 0.32 62.2 ± 2.9 34.0 ± 2.6 18.8 ± 1.9 9.4 ± 1.8 0.55 0.30 0.15
5 33.3 2-1 9.33 ± 0.34 69.0 ± 10.6 40.2 ± 9.1 18.8 ± 2.6 10.0 ± 3.2 0.58 0.28 0.14
6 50 2-2 9.87 ± 0.48 71.4 ± 7.8 43.2 ± 6.9 21.6 ± 1.5 6.6 ± 0.6 0.60 0.30 0.09
7 60 2-3 10.62 ± 0.06 77.8 ± 10.5 38.0 ± 5.8 25.0 ± 3.5 14.8 ± 4.1 0.49 0.32 0.19
8 25 3-1 7.63 ± 0.03 59.2 ± 6.4 26.4 ± 8.3 23.4 ± 3.3 9.4 ± 1.1 0.44 0.40 0.16
9 40 3-2 8.09 ± 0.04 69.4 ± 4.7 41.6 ± 4.3 20.2 ± 0.8 7.6 ± 2.0 0.60 0.29 0.11
10 50 3-3 9.00 ± 0.23 62.6 ± 5.4 34.8 ± 4.8 19.4 ± 2.7 8.4 ± 1.5 0.55 0.31 0.14
a)
 percentage of tuck loops, 
b) 
the number of knit and tuck loops, 
c) 
average stitch length, 
d) 
full deformation, 
e) 
elastic 
deformation, 
f) 
delayed deformation, 
g) 
residual deformation, 
h) 
contributors of elastic deformation in full, 
i) 
contributors of 
delayed deformation in full, 
j) 
contributors of residual deformation in full

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Table 3: Widthwise stretch characteristics of knitted fabrics after washing
Fabric 
variants
T
n
 
a)
 (%) m-n 
b)
l
a
 
c) 
(mm)
Deformations (%) and their contributors
E 
d)
E
1
 
e)
E
2
 
f)
E
3
 
g)
E
1
/E 
h)
E
2
/E 
i)
E
3
/E 
j)
1 0 1-0
6.45 ± 0.16 205.8 ± 16.9 128.4 ± 12.3 59.6 ± 5.6 17.8 ± 2.3
0.62 0.29 0.09
2 50 1-1
8.16 ± 0.39 84.6 ± 3.4 43.0 ± 2.5 27.2 ± 1.8 14.4 ± 2.3
0.51 0.32 0.17
3 66.6 1-2
8.51 ± 0.31 99.0 ± 3.3 45.6 ± 3.5 27.4 ± 1.5 26.0 ± 1.2
0.46 0.28 0.26
4 75 1-3
10.92 ± 0.32 103.4 ± 6.9 53.6 ± 6.4 30.8 ± 2.1 19.0 ± 2.1
0.52 0.30 0.18
5 33.3 2-1
9.33 ± 0.34 142.2 ± 8.1 70.4 ± 6.8 50.0 ± 2.8 21.8 ± 1.1
0.49 0.35 0.15
6 50 2-2
9.87 ± 0.48 115.2 ± 10.4 67.6 ± 6.7 32.0 ± 4.5 15.6 ± 0.6
0.59 0.28 0.14
7 60 2-3
10.62 ± 0.06 112.6 ± 15.3 47.0 ± 7.5 29.8 ± 3.1 35.8 ± 5.0
0.42 0.27 0.32
8 25 3-1
7.63 ± 0.03 170.6 ± 9.2 92.8 ± 6.1 51.4 ± 3.2 26.4 ± 2.9
0.54 0.30 0.15
9 40 3-2
8.09 ± 0.04 130.0 ± 8.3 77.4 ± 5.1 34.0 ± 5.2 18.6 ± 1.7
0.60 0.26 0.14
10 50 3-3
9.00 ± 0.23 138.8 ± 8.0 79.2 ± 5.1 36.2 ± 4.4 23.4 ± 1.1
0.57 0.26 0.17
a)
 percentage of tuck loops, 
b) 
the number of knit and tuck loops, 
c) 
average stitch length, 
d) 
full deformation, 
e) 
elastic 
deformation, 
f) 
delayed deformation, 
g) 
residual deformation, 
h) 
contributors of elastic deformation in full, 
i) 
contributors of 
delayed deformation in full, 
j) 
contributors of residual deformation in full
The stretch properties of knitted fabrics are pre-
dominantly determined by the type of loop structure 
and the physical characteristics of the yarn [28]. Under 
tensile stress, deformation in plain and tuck stitches 
occurs through the redistribution of yarn within the 
constituent parts of the knit structure, including the 
knit and tuck loops and their components: the head, 
sinker loop and legs. The extent and configuration of 
tuck loops significantly influence a fabric’s geometry 
and, thus, its mechanical response and elasticity.
The obtained results indicate that the presence 
and percentage of tuck loops significantly affect the 
stretch properties of the fabrics in both lengthwise 
and widthwise directions. Specifically, the inclusion of 
tuck loops led to increased elongation in the length-
wise direction (Figure 4 a‒c) and a corresponding 
reduction in widthwise stretch compared to plain 
knitted structures (Figure 4 d‒g), as was also noted in 
the study [16]. The decrease in widthwise stretching 
as the percentage of the tuck loop in width repeat 
increases follows the same trend as the increase in the 
miss-stitch rate in single-knit fabrics [13].
The full deformation lengthwise (E
l
) of tuck stitch 
fabrics is generally equal to or only 1.2–2.2 times high-
er than the widthwise full deformation (E
w
) (Tables 2 
and 3). Comparing the lengthwise stretch properties 
of tuck stitch variants (2–10) with the plain stitch 
fabric (variant 1) highlights several key points (Table 
2 and Figure 4 a‒c). Tuck stitch fabrics show higher 
full (E), elastic (E
1
), delayed (E
2
) and residual (E
3
) 
deformations in the lengthwise direction compared 
to plain fabrics. The full lengthwise deformation (E) 
of tuck stitch variants ranges from 59.2% to 88.8%, 
compared to 48.0% for the plain stitch variant, indi-
cating that tuck loops contribute to structural changes 
that enhance fabric extensibility. Elastic deformation 
(E
1
) varies from 26.4% to 47.6% in tuck stitch fabrics, 
slightly exceeding the plain value of 29.0%, suggesting 
better immediate recovery. Delayed deformation 
(E
2
) ranges from 19.4% to 27.8% in tuck stitches, 
higher than the 15.4% for the plain stitch variant, 
reflecting increased viscoelastic behaviour. Residual 
deformation (E
3
) ranges from 7.6% to 17.2%, which 
is significantly above the 3.6% for the plain stitch vari-
ant, indicating a greater permanent set after loading.
V ariants with an equal number of tuck loops showed 
similar levels of lengthwise delayed deformation (E
2
). 
Specifically, variants with 50.0% tuck loops (variants 2, 
6, and 10) showed that delayed deformation contribut-
ed E
2
/E = 0.30–0.31 to the total deformation. The same 
trend has been observed for single weft-knitted fabrics 
with the same percentage of miss loops [13].

Influence of Tuck Stitch Variations on the Stretch Properties of Wool/PAN Single Weft-Knitted Fabrics
377
1 00
1 20
1 40
1 60
1 80
2 00
0 20 40 60 80 100 12 0 1 40 160 1 80
Specimen's length changes in the length 
(mm)
Time (min)
1 2 3 4
100
150
200
250
300
350
0 20 40 6 0 80 100 12 0 1 40 1 6 0 1 80
Specimen's length changes in the width 
(mm)
Time (min)
1 2 3 4
a) d)
1 00
1 20
1 40
1 60
1 80
2 00
0 20 40 60 80 100 12 0 1 40 160 1 80
Specimen's length changes in the length 
(mm)
Time (min)
1 5 6 7
100
150
200
250
300
350
0 20 40 6 0 80 100 120 140 16 0 180
Specimen's length changes in the width 
(mm)
Time (min)
1 5 6 7
b) e)
1 00
1 20
1 40
1 60
1 80
2 00
0 20 4 0 60 8 0 100 1 20 140 160 180
Specimen's length changes in the length 
(mm)
Time (min)
1 8 9 10
100
150
200
250
300
350
0 20 4 0 60 80 1 00 120 140 160 180
Specimen's length changes in the width 
(mm)
Time (min)
1 8 9 10
c) f)
Figure 4: Specimen’s length changes within the cycle of “loading-unloading-resting” for knitted fabrics in the 
length direction for tuck loops (n = 1, 2, 3): a) for variants 1 and 2-4 (m = 1), b) for variants 1 and 5‒7 (m = 2), 
c) for variants 1 and 8‒10 (m = 3); in the width direction for tuck loops (n = 1, 2, 3): e) for variants 1 and 2-4 (m 
= 1), f) for variants 1 and 5‒7 (m = 2), g) for variants 1 and 8‒10 (m = 3)

378
Tekstilec, 2025, Vol. 68(4), 368–382 
Conversely, the widthwise stretch properties of 
tuck stitch fabrics (2‒10) display opposite trends. 
These fabrics exhibit lower full (E), elastic (E
1
) and 
delayed (E
2
) deformations in the widthwise direction 
than the plain stitch variant, except for the residual 
deformation (E
3
). The full widthwise deformation 
(E
w
) ranges from 84.6% to 170.6% across tuck stitch 
variations, indicating decreased overall fabric ex-
tensibility, compared to 205.8% for the plain. Elastic 
deformation (E
1
) varies from 43.0% to 92.8% in tuck 
stitch fabrics, showing less immediate recovery, 
whereas the plain exhibits a higher value of 128.4%. 
Delayed deformation (E
2
) ranges from 27.2% to 
51.4% in tuck stitches, which is lower than the 59.6% 
observed in the plain stitch variant, implying lower 
viscoelasticity. Residual deformation (E
3
) in tuck 
stitch fabrics ranged from 14.4% to 35.8%, encom-
passing the plain stitch fabric value of 17.8%.
The relationship between the widthwise full (E), 
elastic (E
1
) and delayed (E
2
) deformations, and the 
percentage of the tuck loops (T
n
) in the stitch repeat 
at the width is presented in Figure 5. Figure 6 shows 
the lengthwise and widthwise contributions of full 
deformation.
Ew = -1.49 Tn + 197.4
R² = 0.80
E1w = -1.08 Tn + 119.06
R² = 0.80
E2w = -0.48 Tn + 59.22
R² = 0.81
0
50
100
150
200
0 2 04 06 08 0
Widthwise deformations (%)
Percentage of tuck loops (%)
Ew E1w E2w
Figure 5: Relationship between the widthwise full (E), 
elastic (E1) and delayed (E2) deformations, and the 
percentage of the tuck loops (T
n
) in the stitch repeat 
at the width
The correlation between the full widthwise (E
w
), 
elastic (E
1w
) and delayed (E
2w
) deformations, and 
the percentage of tuck loops (T
n
) per width repeat 
demonstrates a decreasing linear trend (Figure 5). 
This suggests that an increased number of tuck loops 
(n) diminishes a fabric’s widthwise extensibility. 
Conversely, the relationship between lengthwise de-
formations and the percentage of tuck loops (T
n
) per 
width repeat is nonlinear, indicating a more intricate 
structural response to tuck loop distribution.
The relative contributions of full deformation in 
both the lengthwise and widthwise directions are 
depicted in Figure 6, which shows that the deforma-
tion ratios confirm the significant influence of the 
introduction and distribution of tuck loops on fabric 
anisotropy. The presence and number of tuck loops 
per width repeat generally reduce the contribution 
of elastic deformation (E
1
/E) to the total deforma-
tion in both directions compared with the plain 
loops, with values ranging from 0.44 to 0.60 in the 
lengthwise direction and from 0.42 to 0.60 in the 
widthwise direction, as also mentioned in the paper 
[16]. This reduction indicates that tuck loops limit 
the immediate elastic recovery of the fabric, promot-
ing increased structural relaxation and directional 
dependence in deformation behaviour.
Conversely, the presence and number of tuck 
loops tend to increase the contribution of residual 
deformation (E
3
/E) relative to the plain loops, with 
values ranging from 0.09 to 0.21 in the lengthwise 
direction and from 0.14 to 0.32 in the widthwise 
direction, reflecting greater permanent set and 
reduced dimensional stability.
The contribution of delayed deformation (E
2
/E) 
ranges from 0.28 to 0.40 in the lengthwise direction 
and from 0.26 to 0.35 in the widthwise direction, 
compared with 0.32 and 0.29 for the plain stitch 
variant, respectively. These values indicate that tuck 
loops slightly enhance the viscoelastic component 
of deformation, allowing gradual stress relaxation 
and delayed recovery, which contributes to the 
overall flexibility and time-dependent deformation 
behaviour of the fabric.

Influence of Tuck Stitch Variations on the Stretch Properties of Wool/PAN Single Weft-Knitted Fabrics
379
0 .0
0 .2
0 .4
0 .6
0 .8
1 .0
1 234 567 891 0
Lengthwise contributors of deformations 
in full
Variants 
of fabric
E1 / E E2 /E E3 /E
0 .0
0 .2
0 .4
0 .6
0 .8
1 .0
1 234 567 891 0
Widthwise contributors of deformations 
in full
Variants 
of fabric
E1 /E E2 / E E3 / E
a) b)
Figure 6: Contributors of elastic (E
1
/E), delayed (E
2
/E) and residual (E
3
/E) deformations in full: a) lengthwise, 
b) widthwise
 
Tables 4 and 5 show the t–test statistical results 
used to determine the lengthwise and widthwise 
stretch characteristics of independent samples.
A statistical analysis using t-tests (Tables 4 and 
5) showed greater differences in widthwise stretch 
characteristics than in lengthwise stretch character-
istics, with a significance level of 0.001. Widthwise 
full (E), elastic (E
1
) and delayed (E
2
) deformations 
of the tuck stitch variants 2, 6, and 10 with 50% tuck 
loops at the width repeat, compared to the plain 
stitch fabric (variant 1), exhibit a notable difference, 
mainly with a significance level of 0.001. 
Table 4: Statistical results for the determination of 
the lengthwise stretch characteristics for independent 
samples using the t–test
Tested 
parameter
Value of parameter (t) between plain and tuck 
stitch variants (d
f
= n
1
+n
2 
= 8)
E E
1
E
2
E
3
t
1/2
15.0 
c)
7.4 
c)
16.1 
c)
13.6 
c)
t
1/3
7.5 
c)
3.8 
b)
8.1 
c)
8.0 
c)
t
1/4
5.9 
c)
2.4 
a)
3.6 
b)
6.1 
c)
t
1/5
4.1 
b)
2.5 
a)
2.8 
a)
4.2 
b)
t
1/6
5.8 
c)
4.0 
b)
7.9 
c)
5.4 
c)
t
1/7
5.8 
c)
2.9 
a)
6.0 
c)
5.9 
c)
t
1/8
3.2 
a)
0.6 
d)
5.3 
c)
8.1 
c)
t
1/9
7.3 
c)
4.8 
b)
8.9 
c)
4.0 
b)
t
1/10
4.6 
b)
2.1 
d)
3.1 
a)
5.7 
c)
Legend: 
a)
 0.05 level of significance; 
b)
 0.01 level of signifi-
cance; 
c)
 0.001 level of significance; 
d)
 no statistically signif-
icant difference; d
f
 degree of freedom
Table 5: Statistical results for the determination of 
the widthwise stretch characteristics for independent 
samples using the t-test
Tested 
parameter
Value of parameter (t) between plain and tuck 
stitch variants (d
f
= n
1
+n
2 
= 8)
E E
1
E
2
E
3
t
1/2
15.7
 c)
15.3 
c)
12.5
 c)
2.4 
a)
t
1/3
13.9 
c)
14.5
 c)
12.5 
c)
7.1
 c)
t
1/4
12.5
 c)
12.1
 c)
10.9
 c)
0.9
 d)
t
1/5
7.6
 c)
9.2
 c)
3.5 
b)
3.5
 b)
t
1/6
10.2
 c)
9.7
 c)
8.6 
c)
2.1
 d)
t
1/7
9.1
 c)
12.6 
c)
10.5
 c)
7.4 
c)
t
1/8
4.1
 b)
5.8 
c)
2.9 
a)
5.2 
c)
t
1/9
9.0
 c)
8.6
 c)
7.5 
c)
0.6 
d)
t
1/10
8.0
 c)
8.3
 c)
7.4
 c)
4.9
 b)
Legend: 
a)
 0.05 level of significance; 
b)
 0.01 level of signifi-
cance; 
c)
 0.001 level of significance; 
d)
 no statistically signif-
icant difference; d
f
 degree of freedom
4 Conclusion
This study examined the stretch behaviour of nine 
variants of single-tuck weft-knitted fabrics made from 
31 tex ×2 wool/PAN yarn and compared them with the 
plain stitch fabric. The primary aim was to determine 
how varying the percentage of tuck loops (T
n
) within 
the stitch repeat influences the stretch properties of the 
fabrics. The analysis highlights the significant role of 
loop structure in governing the mechanical behaviour 
of plain and tuck weft-knitted fabrics.

380
Tekstilec, 2025, Vol. 68(4), 368–382 
The plain fabrics exhibited pronounced anisot-
ropy, with widthwise deformation four times greater 
than lengthwise deformation. Their stretch response 
was dominated by the elastic component (E
1
), 
indicating strong immediate recovery. Both delayed 
(E
2
) and residual (E
3
) deformations were relatively 
low, demonstrating good dimensional stability. In 
contrast, tuck stitch variants (2–10) exhibited more 
balanced deformation between lengthwise and 
widthwise directions, reflecting the moderating 
effect of tuck loops on fabric anisotropy.
The presence and proportion of tuck loops in 
the stitch repeat significantly impacted the stretch 
behaviour. Lengthwise deformations increased, 
enhancing fabric extensibility, while widthwise de-
formations generally decreased, reducing immediate 
recovery and diminishing the viscoelastic response. 
Specifically, full, elastic, delayed and residual defor-
mations were higher in the lengthwise direction for 
tuck stitch fabrics than for plain fabrics, whereas 
widthwise deformations showed the opposite trend.
The analysis of the deformation components 
indicated that tuck loops lessen elastic deformation 
(E
1
/E) and increase the residual deformation (E
3
/E), 
suggesting a greater permanent set and reduced di-
mensional stability. The slight increase in the delayed 
component (E2/E) suggests enhanced viscoelasticity 
and stress relaxation. The relationship between de-
formation components and the percentage of tuck 
loops per width repeat showed a decreasing trend in 
widthwise extensibility and a nonlinear response in 
the lengthwise direction, highlighting the complex 
structural influence of tuck loop distribution.
Overall, the results confirm that adding and 
arranging tuck loops facilitates the fine-tuning of 
the stretch properties of knitted fabrics. By carefully 
controlling the percentage and placement of tuck 
loops, textile designers can achieve specific stretch 
behaviours, optimize recovery and improve dimen-
sional stability, serving as valuable guidance for fab-
ric development and functional textile engineering.
Data availability statement: Since December 5, 
2025, the research data has been available at https://
zenodo.org/records/17829260 [29].
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