Internship at Knitwear Lab
November 2019 - April 2020
5 months
knitwearlab.nl
Almere, the Netherlands
Company information:
Knitwear Lab is fueled by its passion for industrial knitwear. The lab specializes in developing stitches, knit designs, design collections, and small-scale productions. The design team collaborates with both larger companies and small brands to seamlessly integrate knits into their collections. In addition to these collaborations, Knitwear Lab has its own brand, Thijs Verhaar, which primarily produces geometric and bold scarves, socks, and pullovers.
For larger productions, the company partners with a manufacturing facility in Istanbul, Turkey.
The workspace is equipped with three industrial knitting machines: two STOLL CMS 530 OKC/HP and one STOLL CMS ADF 16BW. The knitting program utilized is called M1plus.
Tasks:
As a team member at Knitwear Lab, I gained valuable insights into the workings of a creative business. My primary focus was on design, and I actively contributed to the creation of knitwear collections, primarily featuring scarves, socks, and pullovers. This involved a comprehensive process of research, sketching, designing, participating in meetings, and editing artworks using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Subsequently, the finalized files were exported to M1plus. With the assistance of programmers, we prepared these files for the knitting process. Collaborating with the team to analyze multiple knitting samples ultimately led to the production of the final product.
This experience taught me to approach design development with a more critical eye.
Simultaneously, I took charge of the production for their in-house brand, Thijs Verhaar. My responsibilities included operating the STOLL machine, binding off waste yarn, ironing, and conducting quality control. In instances of mistakes, we attempted manual corrections.
I also delved into photography during this period, utilizing the well-equipped photostudio for both "in the process" and final product shots. Mastering light adjustments, camera settings, and set styling streamlined the process. After a subtle touch-up in Photoshop, the images were ready for publication.
My time at Knitwear Lab provided me with a deeper understanding of industrial knitwear development, including its advantages and drawbacks compared to hand and domestic machine knitting. Working on various projects in the office and collaborating with fellow creative professionals proved to be highly inspirational. It fueled my enthusiasm to remain open-minded and continue learning. Moreover, it reaffirmed my passion for the textile and fashion industry, where creative and technological opportunities seem limitless.
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Artwork development
