How a Sweater Is Made
From a cone of yarn to a folded, labelled garment, a flat-knit sweater passes through a handful of distinct stages. Here's the whole journey.
Understanding how a sweater is actually made helps you spec better, set realistic timelines and judge quality. Here's the path on a flat-knit machine, start to finish.
The journey
- 1. Yarn. The right fibre and count is sourced — the choice that most defines hand-feel and cost.
- 2. Programming. The style is programmed into the Shima Seiki or Stoll machine: gauge, stitch structure, shaping and measurements.
- 3. Knitting. The machine knits the panels to shape (fully-fashioned) — or the whole garment seamlessly (WHOLEGARMENT).
- 4. Linking. Shaped panels are joined stitch-by-stitch for flat, durable seams.
- 5. Finishing. Washing, steaming, blocking and pressing set the shape and hand — see finishing.
- 6. QC. Inspection against the approved sample and spec — AQL and the TOP sample.
- 7. Trims, label & pack. Your woven label, care label, fold and polybag — retail-ready under your brand.
The whole thing in one line: yarn → program → knit-to-shape → link → finish → QC → label & pack. Each stage is a quality checkpoint, not just a step.
From idea to your version of this
Your collection runs the same path, built to your tech pack under your label. See it laid out as our production process, or send a brief to start.
Ready to make it?
Send a tech pack, a reference garment or a brief. We respond within one business day with a capacity check, indicative pricing and a sample timeline — direct with the founder.