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Machine Knit Spring Class comes to an end.

For the final part of the course students receive direction from the industry, in this case Topshop and using all the skills they've learnt in the previous 8 weeks make designs with this customer and the brief in mind.

Yordanka made these beautiful experiments into neutral, textural knits.
We also looked at 'crazy bonkers' novelty knits, using placed jacquard, bright clashing colours, short row stripe, intarsia and crochet- and yes, licquorice allsorts for inspiration!

Progressing from never using a knit machine before to making full garments to a brief in 12 weeks, as most of these students did, is pretty impressive!

Crochet Designing.

When we've covered all the knit techniques we can fit into Parts 1 and 2 of the Design Workshop we turn to crochet as the icing on the cake.

One of the advantages of crochet over knitting is being able to work in any direction, so once the students mastered the basic stitches they could freestyle.

They combined crochet with knit, at a neckline or in a seam joing other pieces together.

Dan gave a jacquard swatch an interesting edge.

Looking at natural structures is always helpful for stitch and shape construction.

Cookie crocheted this twisting, organic cable- ish swatch.

The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef (below),that we saw last summer at the Hayward Gallery in London was an awesome achievement and provided no end of ideas!!

Fresh FairIsle Knits.

Traditional Fair isle knitting can look simple but its construction is actually quite the opposite. To make traditional patterns you must understand the composition or rhythm of colours. use tones well then choose a good placement for your garment design.

When mastered it gives beautiful results and is really satisfying to knit. FairIsle is a classic fabric that fashion companies continually like to see re-invented. It's good to give a nod to the historic but to make it your own is much better.

Using bright colours can make traditional patterns look more less conventional.

All of the workshopees have mastered the technique and then experimented with placement or combining with other patterns. They also used other knit construction techniques, learnt earlier in the course, to make original and interesting samples.

Ambitious novice knitters get Jan 09 Workshop underway!

So we're almost at the end of Part One of the first Design Workshop of 2009, and the workshopees are coming on leaps and bounds.

This is Dan from London, who had not knitted on a machine before.....

"It's been just great so far. I can't believe how much I've learned in such a short space of time, fantastic! I really like the way the course is structured. Working towards the group review on a Friday is a great way to focus attention each week."

.... and images of his work in progress about contemporary cables for menswear

After learning and experimenting with techniques such as ; stripe, pointelle, jacquard, and cables always with fashion in mind, each week we turn swatches into garments.









Using different ways of shaping the fabric into interesting silhouettes, we drape and build contemporary designs.

Emily, a handknitter from California.....

"I am enjoying the course immensely so far. I enjoy the challenge of learning each skill set/group of techniques weekly and pushing myself to fully explore the technique and then apply it in whatever way I see fit, in the context of a full garment or just an idea."

...and her work in progress.

This course runs untill the 27/03/09, Summer Workshop commences 15/06/09.

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.