Community Zoom: Simply Knitting Mills
Our May Community Zoom session was one of those you really “had to be there for”, simply because so much discussion happened outside of our recording session. We are delighted guest Hatice Szanto from Simply Knitting Mills—one of our machine knitting partners based in the Brooklyn/Queens area of NYC—was able to join us for this special presentation.
At Battenkill Fibers, we get asked a lot of questions about the potential for fashion items to be made with the yarns we spin, and often, the answer is yes, it is possible for us to spin a yarn with your fiber that can be machine knit. Depending on your market and show schedule, you might find that finished garments sell better than yarns, and discover a new income stream for your fiber farm or new product category for your business or shop.
The process begins with your yarn at Battenkill Fibers, where we’ll spin it to the specifications we know work best for Simply Knitting’s machines and prepare the information needed for you to either use one of our already-developed garment patterns, or develop a new garment pattern all your own. In the video, you’ll see several examples of different textures, finishes, stitches and thicknesses that are only the tip of the iceberg for what Hatice and Robert’s team can create.
We love working with Simply Knitting because they share our values for low waste production and make the most of your precious fiber. Although their business began as a traditional cut and sew style knitwear shop (where you knit panels that are then cut into the shapes for garments), as they saw changes in the needs of the fashion industry, they transitioned into a fully fashioned studio.
Fully fashioned, in this case, means that the garments are knit to shape on the machine—similar to how a hand-knitter would knit the individual pieces of a sweater. They are then linked (or joined) together to create the finished garment. Since each piece is individually knit, it uses up only the yarn needed for that piece. This contrasts to the more fast fashion approach that involves discarding the excess fabric after knitting it up!
In the video, Mary Jeanne and Hatice share how they got connected and began working together, and what the process flow and development timeline is like:
sample development begins with a tech pack (a garment-building guide of sorts, we’ll help you with it). The tech pack outlines the idea for your garment with sketches, sample swatches and visual information that will help Robert develop and program your pattern for machine knitting.
2-3 swatch tests for material and gauge approval before the final pattern is developed
production samples, which always need at least 1-2 rounds of revision
final production’s timeline and turnaround depends on many factors, including the complexity of your garment, available size range and stitch choices.
We’re excited about introducing more of our fiber partners to Hatice and your customers to the fine, slow-fashion craftsmanship coming right out of New York. If you think you’d like to explore some of these options for yourself, reach out to us directly and let us know how we can get your ideas closer to reality!
