Abstract: A process is disclosed for decreasing the light transmission of a knitted fabric without reduction of its abrasion resistance. The process comprises the steps of forming a flat circular knitted fabric on a knitting machine and then needling the fabric using a needle punch with an elliptical needle action.

Abstract: A blister fabric of a knit or woven construction may be needle punched to produce internal connections of filaments or fibers from yarns extending into, and/or between, the yarns of an adjacent layer. Interconnections of fibers among separate layers are produced by needles which enter a first layer and then carry fibers from the first layer to a second adjacent layer within the blister of the fabric. Such interconnected fibers which bridge or span multiple layers in the fabric serve to strengthen the blister fabric, making the fabric more resistant to abrasive forces.