Introduction to sweater design
Sweater design can be analyzed from two aspects: sweater pattern making and style design.
A good sweater designer must have a comprehensive foundation in sweater pattern making and be able to understand how to weave a single yarn into a garment. Otherwise, even if the design is completed, it is a failure if it cannot be implemented in the production process.
Design style is also very important. For example, modern style often involves changes in structure, while ethnic style requires more effort in floral patterns and designs.
To create good designs for wool fabrics, you need more patience and perseverance than for woven fabrics.
5 Key Features of knitwear
When designing knitted sweaters, the choice of fabric structure and processing technology will greatly affect the style and shape of the sweater, which is mainly related to the properties of the chosen fabric itself.
To design good knitwear, you must first understand several characteristics of knitwear.
1, Elasticity
The elasticity of knitted fabrics is also known as stretchability. The degree to which it occurs depends on factors such as the type of raw material, elasticity, fineness, loop length, and dyeing and finishing processes.
2, Dispersibility
When the yarn in a knitted fabric breaks or the loops lose their connection, they will unravel in a certain direction, causing the yarn and loops to separate. Therefore, this must be taken seriously when designing the style and sewing process.
3, Curling property
Some knitted fabrics exhibit edge curling when in a free state; this phenomenon is called hemming. Hemming can affect the sewing worker’s operating speed and reduce work efficiency. However, some techniques are now available to mitigate and overcome this problem.
4, Breathability and moisture absorption
The loop structure of knitted fabrics can retain more air, resulting in good breathability, moisture absorption, and warmth retention, making them comfortable to wear. They are a good type of functional and comfortable fabric.
However, attention should be paid to ventilation and keeping the product dry during distribution or storage to prevent mold growth.
5, Retraction rate
During the sewing process, knitted fabrics will shrink to a certain extent in both length and width. The ratio of the shrinkage amount to the original garment’s length and width dimensions is called the sewing process shrinkage rate.
The shrinkage rate is related to the fabric structure, raw material type and fineness, dyeing and finishing methods, and post-processing.
How to become a qualified sweater designer
1, Pattern and color scheme basics
It includes not only color and pattern design, but also proportion, material, texture, and spatial structure. However, for sweater designers, pattern basics and color matching basics are particularly important.
This is different from what weaving designers do. For example, when designing stitch patterns, the composition and arrangement of the pattern, as well as the color matching between different materials, can have a significant impact with minimal effort.
2, Mastering the craft techniques
Craftsmanship is the redesign of a sweater; only with reasonable and precise craftsmanship can it be considered a good product.
Technique is something that sweater designers must master. Often, simply moving the position of a dividing line slightly can greatly simplify process calculations and reduce production losses by several percentage points.
By slightly altering a single line in a pattern, four or five fewer yarn nozzles can be used in the weaving process, directly reducing labor costs.
3, The ability to grasp fashion and the market
After all, most designers work in the market, and their designs are created to win a better market. Unlike stage costumes and runway shows, designers need to conduct thorough research to understand market demand and the trends of their target customer groups. All factors that affect the aesthetics of sweater designs and market sales should be within the scope of sweater designers’ learning and consideration.
This is something that woven fabric designers share, so there’s no need to elaborate.
4, Understanding the cost relationship between design and production
Design is a relatively subjective endeavor. To achieve design requirements, some designers insist on their own requirements regarding materials and weaving techniques. However, the main components of sweater costs are closely related to these two aspects.
The choice of materials can lead to significant cost fluctuations. Due to intense market competition, products that look good but are too expensive are difficult to sell.
Designers who can grasp this relationship will try to use some methods to achieve similar effects and get the best of both worlds.
5, The lifeblood of wool knitting design: yarn
You should have a good understanding of all kinds of yarns and raw materials, and be clear about their basic characteristics and how to use them.
Different materials have their own basic characteristics in terms of strength, elasticity, color fastness, pilling, etc. Although some of these characteristics can be overcome or avoided through artificial integration, designers still need to understand some basic principles, make the most of the material’s inherent properties, and avoid some of its shortcomings.
Yarn is the lifeblood of wool knitting design; the composition, color, luster, and texture of the yarn must all be carefully controlled.
The same yarn, the same number of plies and the same stitch length can produce thousands of different textures through different weave structures . If a designer is proficient in this, then he can be very successful in designing knitwear.
6, Understand the basic principles of weaving
Compared to tailored clothing, sweaters are subject to many limitations in weaving, shaping, and finishing processes.
For example, the shape of the stitches added or removed is a common problem for designers. The stitches added or removed on sweaters are all stepped, and cannot be changed arbitrarily like cutting.
Many designers receive training in draping during their school years, so they easily apply draping techniques to sweaters, which results in many effects that cannot be achieved .
Therefore, designers must understand some basic weaving principles in order to avoid these machine limitations and make good use of them.
7, Possess a certain degree of innovation ability
We must break with convention based on solid theory and practice, dare to break away from traditional sweater design concepts, and innovate products that are both unique and recognized by the market.
To enhance the perceived quality of a product based on innovation, a good sweater designer should first have a strong sense of clothing and be sensitive to the product, and know how to improve its perceived quality. Secondly, they must have a clear vision so that buyers can quickly understand the designer’s concept.
This is something that woven fabric designers share even more in common with.
The current state of knitwear design
Finally, let’s talk about the current situation.
Designing knitted sweaters is significantly more difficult than tailoring garments.
Without any fabric, a garment can be woven directly from a single yarn. Most designers accustomed to tailored clothing designs would likely find themselves struggling when faced with the challenge of designing sweaters.
However, when we watch the fashion reality shows like Project Runway, we often see master designers who can handle everything from knitwear to woven fabrics, from design to craftsmanship.
In the sweater design field, there are usually only two kinds of people: designers who can only draw all kinds of beautiful renderings, and pattern makers who can only copy designs and make patterns.
The former represents right-brain romanticism born from various fashion design schools, while the latter represents left-brain tech enthusiasts born from the production line.
However, when the two of them get together, it will definitely not be a happy ending like that of a prince and princess.
Few technical workers can understand the language system and frequency of designers. So when a designer hands a sweater design to a craftsman and vividly explains his inspiration and design intentions, we can almost see the craftsman’s bewildered eyes and hear the “Duang~” sound in his mind.
Finally, when the craftsman nods heavily, barely indicating that he understands, the designer returns to his studio with a satisfied smile, awaiting the birth of his perfect work.
However, reality is often cruel.
“This is not what I wanted!”
Designers often say this, the subtext being: I put so much talent into my design, and you turned it into this?
“There’s nothing I can do, I’ve done my best!”
Besides doctors, craftsmen also said this.
Indeed, from the craftsman’s perspective, the requirements put forward by the designer were either incomprehensible or simply impossible to achieve.
So, after several rounds of struggle and compromise, and under pressure from time and cost, the designer’s work was released to the market in a mediocre and imperfect state.
This is the current state of the domestic sweater design industry (excluding copycat designs and unchanging basic styles). It is also the current state of some woven fabric designers (relative to sweater designers).
This situation is largely due to the fact that most designers do not understand the principles and techniques of knitting.
Of the thounds of fashion design schools in the world, only a few Institute of Fashion Technology have a dedicated knitwear design major. The rest teach cutting and garment design only. In addition, many designers with art backgrounds are not interested in learning the principles of knitting and sweaters. This has led to a significant shortage of professional knitwear designers in the industry.
