GoKawiilUnlike in a woven fabric, pulling on a single loose thread in a piece of knitting or crochet can cause it to unravel completely. This is because a swatch of knitting or crochet is typically made from a single yarn, and its construction does not involve any knots. Writing in Physical Review X, Shimamoto et al.1 report that knot theory — a branch of mathematics — can be used to classify whether a given textile pattern can be created through knitting or crochet, and whether the fabric will be unravelled by a defect. They show that this can be used to design knitted fabrics that are resistant to ‘laddering’.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-02466-9
References Shimamoto, D. S., Shimamoto, K., Mahmoudi, S. & Poincloux, S. Phys. Rev. X 16, 031006 (2026). Singal, K. et al. Nature Commun. 15, 2622 (2024). Spencer, D. J. Knitting Technology: A Comprehensive Handbook and Practical Guide 3rd edn (CRC Press, 2001). Sanchez, V. et al. Adv. Funct. Mater. 33, 2212541 (2023). Poincloux, S., Adda-Bedia, M. & Lechenault, F. Phys. Rev. X 8, 021075 (2018). Liu, A. J. & Nagel, S. R. Annu. Rev. Condens. Matter Phys. 1, 347–369 (2010). Download references
Competing Interests The author declares no competing interests.
Related Articles
Subjects