Modified jersey knit fabric and methods of making the same

A knit fabric having a knit structure including a front side and a back side, the knit fabric comprising:

• a first tuck stitch component, a second jersey stitch component and a third jersey stitch component;
• wherein the second jersey stitch component is located on the front side and includes at least one continuous strand of bare rubber and a plurality of continuous strands selected from the group consisting of continuous strands of bare rubber and continuous strands of non-elastic yarn, knit together into a jersey stitch layer residing on the front side;
• and wherein the third jersey stitch component is located on the back side and includes a plurality of continuous strands selected from the group consisting of continuous strands of bare rubber and continuous strands of non-elastic yarn, knit together into a jersey stitch layer residing on the back side;
• wherein the first tuck stitch component includes a plurality of continuous strands selected from the group consisting of continuous strands of bare rubber and continuous strands of non-elastic yarn, knit together into a tuck stitch pattern that engages a plurality of continuous strands of the second jersey stitch component and a plurality of continuous strands of the third jersey stitch component so as to hold the second and third jersey stitch components together.

A method of forming a knit fabric on a double bed flatbed knitting machine having a front needle bed and a back needle bed;

• the method comprising the steps of:
• a) forming one or more vertical columns of jersey knit stitch on both the front and back needle beds of the knitting machine, wherein the number of vertical columns of jersey knit stitch formed is the same on both the front and back needle beds;
• b) forming one or more rows of tuck stitches connecting the vertical columns of jersey knit stitches formed on the front and back beds in step a);
• and
• c) repeating steps a) and b) until the knit fabric is of a desired size;
• wherein the fabric includes non-elastic yarn and strands of bare rubber.

A knit fabric having a knit structure, the knit fabric comprising:

• a front side and a back side;
• the front side including a first jersey stitch component and the back side including a second jersey stitch component;
• wherein the first jersey stitch component is located on the front side and includes at least one continuous strand of bare rubber and a plurality of continuous strands selected from the group consisting of continuous strands of bare rubber and continuous strands of non-elastic yarn, knit together into a jersey stitch pattern residing on the front side;
• and the second jersey stitch component is located on the back side and includes a plurality of continuous strands selected from the group consisting of continuous strands of bare rubber and continuous strands of non-elastic yarn, knit together into a jersey stitch pattern residing on the back side;
• wherein the knit fabric further includes a first tuck stitch component including a plurality of continuous strands selected from the group consisting of continuous strands of bare rubber and continuous strands of non-elastic yarn, knit together into a tuck stitch pattern that engages a plurality of continuous strands of the first jersey stitch component and a plurality of continuous strands of the second jersey stitch component so as to hold the first and second jersey stitch components together.