83122 Machine-knitted Textiles
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Requisite elaboration/waiver:
No prerequisites required
Recommended studies:
N/A
Description
This subject introduces students to constructed textiles by exploring the structural, conceptual, and technical opportunities knitting offers. The subject is practice-based and includes technical knitting processes and production using a variety of domestic knitting machine gauges. Students are taught fundamental techniques using standard yarns and encouraged to experiment and challenge conventions as they progress through creative design thinking. They explore a range of materials and processes that can be used in specialist areas such as women's and men's wear or complementary design disciplines. This subject is the only one offered at the university level in New South Wales, appealing to students who desire to create innovative fabrics with imaginative visual and material properties.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
| 1. | Develop technical skills and competency in using a variety of domestic knitting machine gauges. |
|---|---|
| 2. | Develop creative design outcomes through challenging materials and processes. |
| 3. | Develop an original aesthetic through experimentation with various knitting techniques and fabric structures. |
| 4. | Develop effective visual presentation skills relevant to fashion and/or textile design. |
| 5. | Demonstrate professional ability in creating and presenting a comprehensive portfolio that showcases their knitted fabric designs and technical skills. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Effectively communicate concepts in fashion and textiles in performative, oral, visual and written forms (C.2)
- Develop an original aesthetic sensibility (I.1)
- Demonstrate an ability to adapt technology and materials creatively (I.3)
- Demonstrate the ability to acquire, use and integrate relevant technical skills into creative projects. (P.2)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject contributes to the course educational aims to produce graduates with high levels of:
- creativity and innovation
- communication and interpersonal skills, practical and professional skills
- critical thinking and research skills
- professional and personal attitudes and values.
The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attribute categories where:
C = communication and groupwork
A = attitudes and values
P = practical and professional
R = research and critique
I = innovation and creativity.
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).
Teaching and learning strategies
3 hour design/technical knit studio
NB: there will be no extra hours outside of class time - all the machine knitting for this subject has been designed to be completed in class
Feedback
Your Design Mentor/Tutor will demonstrate techniques and offer daily feedback in your studio session. Formal written feedback will be provided for each of the assessment tasks.
Engaging in Lectures, Studio and Seminars
Students are encouraged to prepare themselves each week by researching the topic. There will be opportunities for students to ask questions, clarify issues, explore ideas and create discussion.
The studio sessions will involve meeting with your tutor to discuss your research, concepts and design progress.
Independent and self-managed learning
There is ongoing encouragement for students to learn from each other as well as reflect on their experiences through studio discussions. Self-management strategies and independent learning are crucial to continuing development as a design practitioner. It will be up to students to adhere to the week-to-week program.
Content (topics)
A core aim of this subject is to introduce you to machine knitting techniques and enable you to develop the ability to be innovative, challenge design aesthetics and explore your ideas through two-dimensional and three-dimensional enquiry. It is an introduction to machine knitting that will give you the skills to develop further as you progress through your degree.
You will cover the following in this course:
- Introduction to the knitting machine, functions, parts, and maintenance
- Inspiration and design ideas for knitting
- Yarns suitability and experimentation
- Understanding knit tension
- Integrating fabric simulation with physical knitting to test and refine designs
- Professional presentation of knitted samples and simulated fabrics
- Various knitting techniques:
- Cast on and cast off
- Stripes
- Increase and decrease by one needle
- Increase and decrease by multiple needles
- Engineered lace/eyelet
- Engineered ladder/drop stitch
- Multiple tucks
- Cables
- Twist
- Short row/ Partial knitting
- Single hem fold
- Mock rib hem fold
Outcomes
This subject will provide you with an understanding of your own creative thinking using machine knitting techniques.
By the end of the subject, you will have a portfolio of technical and experimental machine-knitted outcomes that can be used to inform future work across a range of disciplines.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Design Development File
| Intent: | This assessment task introduces students to machine knitting, focusing on techniques. Students will learn new terminology relevant to machine knitting for industry practice. This task is the first part of the portfolio, where students explore innovative approaches to machine knitting through experimentation with materials and processes. Students will research and develop a concept drawn from the assigned theme to create innovative knitted samples. | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2, 3 and 4 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): C.2, I.1, I.3 and P.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Portfolio | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 50% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Experimental Knit Collection
| Intent: | This task is a self-initiated project where students explore innovative approaches to machine knitting through experimentation with materials and processes. Students will research and develop a concept drawn from the assigned theme to create a portfolio of innovative knitted samples, including post-treatments such as dye, print, bonding and felting. Students will continue to evolve their professional visual presentation skills through the development of the knit design portfolio.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2, 4 and 5 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): C.2, I.1, I.3 and P.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Portfolio | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 50% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
The DAB attendance policy requires students to attend no less than 80% of formal teaching sessions (lectures and tutorials) for each class they are enrolled in to remain eligible for assessment.
References
Allen J 1986, The machine knitting book: how to design and create beautiful garments on your knitting machine, Readers Digest Services, Sydney
Black S 2002, Knitwear in fashion, Thames and Hudson, United Kingdom
Devaney B 1989, The harmony guide to colourful machine knitting, Lyric, London
Elliott S 2015, Knit: Innovations in Fashion, Art and Design, Lawrence King Publishing Ltd, London
Entwistle J and Wilson E (eds), 2001, Body dressing, Berg, United Kingdom
Evans C 2003, Fashion at the edge: spectacle, modernity and deathliness, Yale University Press
Gale C and Kaur J (eds) 2002, The textile book, Berg, United Kingdom
Hemmings J (ed) 2010, In the loop: knitting now, Black Dog, United Kingdom
Kawamura Y 2005, Fashionology, Berg, United Kingdom
Landahl K 2015, The myth of the silhouette: on form thinking in knitting design, (Doctoral thesis), University of Boras
Seymour S 2009, Fashionable technology: the intersections of design, fashion, science, and technology, SpringerWein, New York
Turney J 2009, The culture of knitting, Berg, United Kingdom
Udale J 2014, Fashion Knitwear, Laurence King Publishing Limited, United Kingdom
Journal:
Knitting Industry Creative, https://www.knittingindustry.com/creative/
Knitting Industry, https://www.knittingindustry.com/
Knitting Trade journal, Mowbray Communications Ltd, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, UK (copies can be obtained from the UTS library)