Characterisation of sustainable knitted apparel produced from linen yarn dyed with natural dyes

Abstract

This research aims to characterise knitted apparel produced from linen yarn dyed with natural dyes. In this study, 100% linen yarn of 40L count is first subjected to chemical softening treatments and then dyed using selected natural dyes. The dyed yarn is evaluated for its colour values using a spectrophotometer. Tensile tests conducted before and after dyeing indicate that the loss in yarn strength is negligible. The dyed linen yarn is subsequently knitted on a flat knitting machine, and the resulting fabric is assessed for key comfort characteristics, including thermal resistance, moisture vapour transmission rate, and air permeability. The findings show that knitted linen apparel provides comfort properties at an acceptable level, thereby ensuring adequate wearer comfort. In addition, the linen knitted fabrics are tested for essential mechanical properties such as pilling, abrasion, and bursting strength, and the results are reported.