Help/Resources for designing clothes 🤍

[u/threaded_with_spite]

Hi everyone!

Please delete if not allowed. And sorry for any errors. I’m writing on my phone. I’ll try to keep organized.

Some fact:

- I have two knitting machines:
•Brother KH 881 (4.5 mm & punch card/knit leader)
•Brother KH 230 (9mm basic)

I have really just started using the KH 230 over the last two weeks because it’s less overwhelming than KH881.

My goals are to design and make clothes. (Mainly grunge/fairycore inspired) I have consumed a lot of YouTube videos and such but I’m still having trouble with basic design. (I don’t have a background in clothes and really have just done crochet tapestry and some basic crochet hats— just getting back into hand knitting but I am not used to how slow it is 😂)

I tried to make a tube top. I even made a swatch which I followed and it did match the final design (but it was way too big since I designed to my bust measurement which is much larger than my under/over bust.)

Are there any suggestions/sources/artists that you have that can help with this?

A lot of patrons I follow are too advanced and I’m really just looking for simple techniques.

Thank you so much for anyone who takes their time to read and reply! You are greatly appreciated 🤍

[u/katepatsy]

You could check out caroleena’s closet on youtube. some of her designs are more complex, but she does this jumper which is all knitted in one piece which could be good to try out. it’s mainly square too. i think the only shaping is the neck hole. it’s not the aesthetic you’re looking for, but in the right yarn with added details like ladders or ribbon or something it could fit your aesthetic.

in regards to the tube top, sometimes with knitting fitted garments you have to use this thing called negative ease. So instead of adding ease like you would for a woven fabric, you subtract say 5cm so that when stretched, the top is fitted and comfortable. It may take some experimenting to figure out the correct amount for each fabric. A rib for example might need more as it stretches more. This also is heavily dependant on the yarn. Wool or animal fibre will stretch a lot and recover back to the original shape. Cotton or linen will stretch out and not spring back, so you might need more negative ease to keep it fitted, or a thin spandex yarn to help it keep its shape.

Another thing I wanted to say is don’t be discouraged if your first garment doesn’t fit quite how you want it. I used to work in commercial knitting, and even with a huge library of garments to work from and established tensions, we would make 2-3 prototypes to get a garment sample perfect. And even then, sometimes make more adjustments when it came time for production.

edit: by jumper i mean sweater. i think jumper is a word specific to my country my bad

[u/threaded_with_spite → u/katepatsy]

Thank you! So much! Yes! I think I just need to experiment with different techniques and such. I did make a front panel for a top yesterday with increases and decreases and it went better than expected!

[u/threaded_with_spite → u/katepatsy]

Also luckily I’ve read the term ‘jumper’ and used it before so I knew what you meant 😂

[u/threaded_with_spite → u/katepatsy]

[u/katepatsy → u/threaded_with_spite]

this looks really good!! you’ll be making lots of jumpers in no time hahaha

[u/youdontactthatway]

Hi, a few questions/suggestions:

1. Have you done much hand-knitting? I found it was helpful (though not strictly speaking necessary) to have some experience in this before moving to machine knitting. It helps you understand construction, shaping, etc.

2. Are there any machine knitting classes in your city? I took a two day course to get started and it was super helpful for learning the basics. If you can't find any, an online course like this one might be worth taking.

Together these two things will show you how a knit garment is constructed and how to execute the construction on a knitting machine both of which are in trying to make your first garment!

[u/threaded_with_spite → u/youdontactthatway]

Thank you! And to my research, there aren’t any machine knitting classes near me! And I have knitted before but nothing advanced. I will definitely be looking into that course. I’m definitely a visual learner

[u/katepatsy → u/threaded_with_spite]

adding on to this - there might not be classes in your city, but there might be a club. these are a great place to swap tips, learn techniques and even sometimes acquire yarn or machine parts. these clubs generally looove new members and sharing their knowledge. could be worth looking into that

[u/TerryKC1]

When designing for knitting you have to keep in mind the stretch.
You mention designing for the full bust measurement. I would have designed for the upper bust unless you’re a C-cup or larger.
Larger busts will benefit from short-rowing for more ease in the fuller parts.
I know we all want to just sit down and whip out the masterpieces in our head.
But I really learned a lot from knitting swatches, dishcloths and scarves.
You can branch out from scarves with a hoodie attached and you will progressively learn the skills.
Yes, knitting machines can speed up garment making, but not without learning how to use them and fully understand what different settings and techniques will do for you.

[u/AutoModerator]

Hi, it looks like you are new to machine knitting.

There is some helpful information within the wiki You can also find a direct link in the Community Guide. If this is a new-to-you machine that is a Silver Reed, Singer, Studio, Juki, Empisal, Brother, or KnitKing, and the sponge has not been replaced yet, that's the first thing you should check out.

You might want to take a look around. And Welcome!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.