Method of Manufacturing Raschel Lace Knitted Fabric

A method of manufacturing a Raschel lace knitted fabric, which obtains the Raschel lace knitted fabric by executing the following steps:

• a knitting step of knitting a Raschel knitted fabric by feeding a plurality of chain stitch yarns each forming a chain stitch weave extending in a knitting direction, a weft passage yarn which is knitted in a knitted fabric weft direction between a plurality of chain stitch weaves formed by the chain stitch yarns, and a thermal melting yarn exhibiting weldability by being partially or entirely melted by being heated, to a Raschel knitting machine, and
• a heat treatment step of heat-treating the Raschel knitted fabric which is obtained through the knitting step,
• wherein in the knitting step,
• a plurality of chain stitch weaves are knitted in which a meltable yarn portion made of thermally weldable polyurethane which is a meltable material which is partially or entirely melted by being heated is set to be a first chain stitch portion, a poorly-meltable yarn portion made of a poorly-meltable material having a higher melting temperature than the meltable material is set to be a second chain stitch portion, the first chain stitch portion and the second chain stitch portion are provided in the same chain stitch weave, and a surface of the first chain stitch portion is in an exposed state, and
• a Raschel knitted fabric is knitted in which the weft passage yarn is set to be a poorly-meltable yarn made of a poorly-meltable material having a higher melting temperature than the meltable material, and an insertion yarn made of a polyurethane material is inserted into the chain stitch weave, and
• wherein in the heat treatment step,
• heat treatment to heat the Raschel knitted fabric obtained through the knitting step at a temperature equal to or lower than melting temperatures of the poorly-meltable material and the weft passage yarn and equal to or higher than a melting temperature of the meltable material in a knitted fabric tensioned state where a contact portion between the first chain stitch portion and the insertion yarn is formed is executed for a treatment time in which each of the poorly-meltable yarn portion, the weft passage yarn, and the insertion yarn remains as a yarn, so that a Raschel lace knitted fabric in which the insertion yarn is welded to the chain stitch weave is obtained.