virtual_knitting_machine.machine_components.needles.Needle module
A module containing the Needle class and related functions for virtual knitting machine operations.
This module provides the core Needle class which represents individual needles on a knitting machine. Needles can be on the front or back bed and can hold loops for knitting operations. The module includes functionality for loop management, needle positioning, and various knitting operations.
- class Needle(is_front, position)[source]
Bases:
objectA class for managing individual needles on a knitting machine.
This class represents a needle on either the front or back bed of a knitting machine. Each needle can hold multiple loops and provides methods for knitting operations, loop transfers, and position calculations.
- held_loops
List of loops currently held by this needle.
- Type:
- property pull_direction: Pull_Direction
Get the direction this needle pulls loops during knit operations.
- Returns:
BtF (Back to Front) for front needles, FtB (Front to Back) for back needles.
- Return type:
Pull_Direction
- property is_front: bool
Check if needle is on the front bed.
- Returns:
True if needle is on front bed, False otherwise.
- Return type:
- property position: int
Get the index position of the needle on the machine bed.
- Returns:
The index on the machine bed of the needle.
- Return type:
- property has_loops: bool
Check if the needle is currently holding any loops.
- Returns:
True if needle is holding loops, False otherwise.
- Return type:
- active_floats()[source]
Get active floats connecting to loops on this needle.
- Returns:
Dictionary of loops that are active keyed to active yarn-wise neighbors. Each key-value pair represents a directed float where key comes before value on the yarns in the system.
- Return type:
- float_overlaps_needle(u, v)[source]
Check if a float between two loops overlaps this needle’s position.
- Parameters:
u (Machine_Knit_Loop) – Machine_Knit_Loop at start of float.
v (Machine_Knit_Loop) – Machine_Knit_Loop at end of float.
- Returns:
True if the float between u and v overlaps the position of this needle.
- Return type:
- add_loop(loop)[source]
Add a loop to the set of currently held loops.
- Parameters:
loop (Machine_Knit_Loop) – Loop to add onto needle.
- Return type:
- add_loops(loops)[source]
Add multiple loops to the held set.
- Parameters:
loops (list[Machine_Knit_Loop]) – List of loops to place onto needle.
- Return type:
- transfer_loops(target_needle)[source]
Transfer all loops from this needle to a target needle.
- Parameters:
target_needle (Needle) – Needle to transfer loops to.
- Returns:
Loops that were transferred.
- Return type:
- drop()[source]
Drop all held loops by releasing them from the needle.
- Returns:
The loops that were dropped.
- Return type:
- property is_back: bool
Check if needle is on the back bed.
- Returns:
True if needle is on the back bed, False otherwise.
- Return type:
- opposite()[source]
Get the needle on the opposite bed at the same position.
- Returns:
The needle on the opposite bed at the same position.
- Return type:
- racked_position_on_front(rack)[source]
Get the position of the needle on the front bed at a given racking.
- main_needle()[source]
Get the non-slider needle at this needle position.
- Returns:
The non-slider needle at this needle position. If this is not a slider needle, this instance is returned.
- Return type:
- __str__()[source]
Return string representation of the needle.
- Returns:
String representation (e.g., ‘f5’ for front needle at position 5).
- Return type:
- __repr__()[source]
Return string representation of the needle.
- Returns:
String representation of the needle.
- Return type:
- __hash__()[source]
Return hash value for the needle.
- Returns:
Hash value based on position (negative for back needles).
- Return type:
- __lt__(other)[source]
Compare if this needle is less than another needle or number.
- Parameters:
other (Needle | int | float) – The other needle or number to compare with.
- Returns:
True if this needle’s position is less than the other value. If the needles are at the same location but in opposite positions (back vs. front), the front needle is considered less than the back. This orders needles as front-to-back in a leftward carriage pass.
- Return type:
- Raises:
TypeError – If other is not a Needle or number.
- __int__()[source]
Return integer representation of the needle position.
- Returns:
The needle position.
- Return type:
- __index__()[source]
Return index representation of the needle position.
- Returns:
The needle position as an index.
- Return type:
- at_racking_comparison(other, rack=0, all_needle_racking=False)[source]
Compare needle positions at a given racking.
- Parameters:
- Returns:
1 if self > other, 0 if equal, -1 if self < other.
- Return type:
Note
At an all needle racking, the front needle is always < the back needle, regardless of direction.
- static needle_at_racking_cmp(n1, n2, racking=0, all_needle_racking=False)[source]
Static method to compare two needles at a given racking.
- Parameters:
- Returns:
1 if n1 > n2, 0 if equal, -1 if n1 < n2.
- Return type:
Note
At an all needle racking, the front needle is always < the back needle, regardless of direction.
- __sub__(other)[source]
Subtract another needle’s position or an integer from this needle’s position.