Ottoman is a ridged knit with raised horizontal bands, and it is one of the most singed fabrics in our records. Here is the route for each fibre, from greige fabric to the cutting table.
At a glance
34Parts in our records
250Median required GSM
30%Within GSM tolerance
18%Singed
Ottoman knits build raised horizontal ridges (welts) by knitting extra courses on one needle bed only. It can be made on a rib, interlock or single jersey base. The ridges give a bold texture for sweatshirts, tops and dresses, and they must come out of finishing even and unflattened.
| Type in our records | Parts |
|---|---|
| Ottoman Rib | 9 |
| Y/D Ottoman Rib | 6 |
| Ottoman S/J | 5 |
| Ottoman Interlock | 4 |
| L/Ottoman Rib | 4 |
| D/Ottoman Rib | 3 |
| Yd/Ottoman Rib | 2 |
| Design Ottoman Rib | 1 |
By fibre: what our records show
| Fibre or blend | Parts | Median required GSM | Within ±5% GSM | More than 5% light | Median length shrinkage | Median width shrinkage | Heat set |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVC / PC | 16 | 265 | 38% | 31% | 4% | 4% | 69% |
| 100% cotton | 13 | 250 | 31% | 54% | 9% | 4% | 15% |
Cotton ottoman shrinks a median 9% in length and is heat set only 15% of the time; CVC ottoman is heat set 69%. 18% of all ottoman was singed.
Our records hold fewer parts of this fabric than of the common knits, so read the figures as a guide, not a rule.
What makes ottoman different
The ridges must stay sharp and uniform. Finishing has to control stretch and recovery and prevent crease marks.
Ottoman is singed to control surface hairiness, for a cleaner ridge and better pilling performance. The usual singeing precaution applies: only a cotton-yarn face can be singed, never polyester, and the flame is checked on the fabric first.
Cotton ottoman shrinkage is controlled through proper relaxation, dryer overfeed, width control and compaction. It is heat set only when needed for dimensional stability or for Lycra or synthetic content; normal 100% cotton ottoman does not need it.
The sequence before the dyeing machine
Every chart below follows the same sequence before dyeing. Steps a fabric does not need simply drop out; they are drawn dashed.
- Greige inspection, then batching. A fabric that stays a tube is turned inside out here.
- If it needs heat setting, singeing or mercerising: slitting first. None of these is ever done on a tube.
- If it needs heat setting: heat setting in open width.
- If it needs singeing: singeing in open width, after checking the flame cannot damage the fabric.
- If it is mercerised: mercerising, then drying.
- If the fabric was opened: back sewing, to make it a tube again with the face side inside (the loop side, for terry).
- Loading into the dyeing machine, then scouring, bleaching and dyeing, single part or double part as the fibre needs.
Flowcharts by fibre
CVC / PC ottoman rib
In our records: 16 parts, 38% within GSM tolerance, median length shrinkage 4%, heat set 69%. Full process: CVC / PC dyeing process.
Dyeing and finishing: CVC / PC ottoman rib
100% cotton ottoman rib
In our records: 13 parts, 31% within GSM tolerance, median length shrinkage 9%, heat set 15%. Full process: 100% cotton dyeing process.
Dyeing and finishing: 100% cotton ottoman rib
Common faults and buyer complaints
Ridge distortion. Control tension and stitch.
GSM variation. Control stitch length and finishing.
Shrinkage. Relaxation, overfeed and compaction.
Crease marks. Gentle handling.
Spirality. Balance tension.
Pilling and hairiness. Singeing, where the face allows it, and the right finish.
Textile engineer with 14+ years in dyeing and fabric development. He writes every guide on Dyeing Solution from real production work. Full profile