Learn To Make and Create Knit Design for Top Fashion Companies

Maybe you are a self taught handknitter, maybe your mother showed you how to crochet and you loved it or you’ve had design training but feel you’re not developing and can’t go any further?

Knit-1 has been selling one-off copyrighted designs and garments to all levels of the international fashion industry for over 15 years and we are offering the opportunity to jumpstart your vocation using our expertise.

If we show you how a traditional Fair Isle
knit is created, could you design the next
variation on the classic Ralph Lauren look?

If you can tie a knot you can knit a cable.
Cable fabrics have endless possibilities and are a wardrobe staple, in Part 1 we explore all.

Pointelle (lace knit) patterns have been used for centuries. We’ll start with the historicpatterns, understand them and use them to stunning effect a la this season McQueen.











For the first 8 weeks of the 12 weeks of this intensive course (you’ll put in more hours and get more tuition time than any degree course so it’s more economic with regards to fees and time!) you`ll learn a different technique, inspired by traditional knit fabrics such as Aran, pointelle, intarsia, jacquards, Fairisle and crochets, reinventing them making them more extreme, impactive and contemporary, crucially always with reference to how they are used right now in international fashion collections



Would you like to turn your skills into something wearable? We can show you how to use your style, enhance skills you have with everything you’ll learn on the Design Workshop you’ll be creating original textile designs.


The emphasis is not on copying what’s on the catwalk or on the High St, its on empowering your design process by giving you the technical skills then developing and experimenting until you have a truly unique portfolio.

Part 3 of the course is devoted to a project linked directly to Industry (previously U.K. retail giants Topshop) the feedback you gain from showing and selling your designs is infallible.


Where you take your new found skills is up to you, all our previous students have left with professional portfolios in their own style full of work comparable to any design in the shop windows of Paris, New York and London.
You don’t have to be a design student to come on the course, just have a passion for textiles and a willingness to learn.

See you in January!

Course Start Dates
Part 1 5tth -30th January 09
Part 2 2nd-27th February 09
Part 3 2nd-27th March 09

Knit Trends from Key Fashion Shops in New York by Sue Enticknap

I was in New York last week visiting all manner of fashion companies with our knit Collection. Lots of interesting fashion shops revealing current trends... In Tribeca (White st.) there is a new shop by J.Crew called The Liquor Store. It's a great mix of contemporary and vintage pieces, Including 50's Fairisles, Leather Jackets and accessories. The new collection has beautiful tailoring and classic mens shirting. The overall feel is of a retro Classic English Look.

Knit Trends/New York Shops

Another giant in retailing presenting a very small, individual boutique is Donna Karan with her Urban Zen in Greenwich st. The Collection is definitely Karan with her mix of original Ethnic/Tribal 'Art' and carefully unstructured clothes. There is evidence of 'hybrid' fabrics that fall between knit and weave and always feel soft and fluid. Signature pieces included superfine cashmere knitted into a double layer wrapped cardi featuring long cut floats. The non-colour look was all shades of black and brown. Fabulous neck pieces/collars in aged dark leather gave the whole look an individual edge.

Shop Trends/New York

The Double R (Ralph Lauren) boutique, Greenwich. Another retail giant showing a tiny, individual looking boutique offering a variation on the Ralph look.

Shop Trends/New York

Marc Jacobs colourful menswear store, Bleeker st.

Shop Trends/New York

Cynthia Rowley showing super femme tailoring with embroidery.

Shop Trends/New York

Alberta Ferretti showing exquisite 20's inspired beading on chiffon.

Knit Trends/Shops New York

Sportmax showing mix of knit with print.

Knit Trends /New York shops

Urban Outfitters merchandising is really something to behold. The shop is jam packed with incredible props including furniture cut in half to reveal all the springs and stuffing, an array of old wrought iron gates at the entrance and HUGE piles of old books! The clothes are'nt bad either! One of the main stories (and there were lots and lots) was 20's flappers meets grunge/punk. Jersey mini skirts with flapper style beading in grey or black. Extravagant Faux flapper necklaces printed onto oversize t-shirts.

Knit Trends/New York shops

Rick Owens Hudson St, has just opened this Summer and shows the full Collection of Knitwear, jersey and outerwear. The knitwear included tight/loose tension superfine mohair in a Kahki loose fashioned sweater. Maxi long line cardis in feather weight cashmere, wrapped and tied across the bodice. The classic biker jacket restyled in skinny knit sleeves and soft leather body. All shades of Kahki and black.

Knit Trends/ New York shops

A quirky window display in a chemist's shop in 6th Avenue. (all made of recycled wood)

Knit Trends/New York shops

Missoni were showing tuck stitching to 'waggle' the great coloured stripes! Using lurex and drapey viscose.

Paris Shop Trends

L’Eclaireur
For a one stop fashion hit, L’Eclaireur in Le Marais never fails to disappoint, and is a good way to see well selected pieces from a wide range of high-end designers.
Lanvin had interesting all black pieces with layering and twisting of fabric and the placement of zips in unusual places.
Comme des Garcons (Tao line) featured many complicated tailored pieces in sombre colours, which were fairly fitted and combined with a big detail such as black felted jackets with ruffles and frills around the neck.
Rick Owens had many pieces of fine gauge knit and jersey in neutral colours. Along side these was a large cardigan knitted all in one. It was knitted in fine mohair on a 3g with large pointelle detail, combined with the same mohair knitted in a much tighter tension for ribs and dense knitted stripes up the back. Like many of his pieces it was long at the front and short at the back, and could be used as a wrap-around.
A continual theme throughout many of the collections were very low neck-lines and interesting details such as belt buckles used on the backs of jacket (buckles also were a key fastening feature at Premiere Vision).
Givenchy had a similar all black look, with again interesting shapes and draping of layers of fabric, with their key piece being a sophisticated bubble dress.

Dries Van Noten, provided the majority of colour for the shop, with floral embroidery consisting of spotted sequins that gradiate in colour, all of which bright, and layered over each other, with fabric embroidery for the stems (you could make yourself similar sequins with a punch-card and a coloured piece of plastic).

The other key pieces for the collection were mixed yarn cardigans with pointelle detail which were knitted loosely on a 3g to increase stitch size and were very ethnic, loose and bright.

Premiere Vision Paris Autumn Winter 09-10

Premiere Vision Autumn Winter 09-10

Colour trends for Autumn Winter 09-10

Ambiguous neutrality: - buff, mole, beige
High tension: - bright coral, teal, kaki, brown, aqua, green
Hyper Expression: - aubergine, purple, brown, aluminous green, pink, turquoise

Key trend predictions for Autumn Winter 09-10

Retro Modernity: - Styles of the 1920’s, with elements of old fashioned child-like softness.
● Dusky colours and a very vintage look.
●Lots of draping, layers and use of chiffon, not only for garments but also on accessories such as feather and chiffon corsages.
●Thick panels of lace as either decorative inserts, or thick high waistbands.
●Textured knits with subtle lurex sparkle or sequins, also chunky knits combined with fine viscose to add shine, and crochet with edges trimmed in lurex.
●Bags with belt buckles and garments fastened with both single and double buckles. Also sparkly buckles that have fabric threaded through to give the impression of a bow.
●Graphic beading in very pale feminine colours.

Alchimia: - Baroque alchemy of sophisticated materials.
●Very burlesque in style.
●A theme of gun-metal grey, with tiny black beading and either teal or dark purple as highlight colours.
●Patient leather, textured leather, snake skin, fur, velvet, mohair and studs- all very textured fabrics.
●Gold embroidery on vanishing fabric and pleated ribbon.
●Dark fur with teal in it, peacock feathers and spotted feathers giving a very sophisticated and luxurious look.
●Lots of different fastenings such as beaded clasps, zips, elaborate broaches, hook and eyes and Serpent fastenings very Art Nouveau in style.
Utopia: - Futuristic expressionism, techno couture.
●Red, black, white, grey and silver.
●Slightly 80’s look.
●Industrial materials, such as metal buckles, rivets, chains and plastic beads or buckles.
●Origami fabric, folded and pleated.
●Tweed with sequins sewn on, and tweeds cut-out in places and sewn onto knits.
●Furs either in red, black or dark grey, all very strong colours.
●Layered decoration of felt circles with sequins and beads, very 3D.

Fabric predictions for Autumn Winter 09-10

●Dark tartans with bright colours running trough them. Some in mohair, which had been brushed to tease out the treads and give a blurred effect to the structured fabric.
●Lace with embroidery in the same colour, in only specific areas. E.g. /. On a floral lace only the flower heads would be embroidered to created texture, volume and denseness to the transparent lace.
●Ribbons laced through knitted trims.
●Elastic embroidery on chiffon, mesh and knit to created a puckered fabric.
●Plain knit with lines embroidered over it in different colours o give the impression of tartan.
●chevrons in a combination of very chunk yarn and a very fine yarn in the same colour to create a rippled effect.
●Vanishing fabric embroidery.
●Cut-out felt sewn over a knitted base, with embroidery over the top (3 layers), in grey, red and purple.
●Pin-striped fabric, where the stripes are either fur or mohair (grey and white).
●Foil print over fur, with pieces of the fur sticking up and therefore distorting the print.