We are VERY excited to announce the Kickstarter launch of Machines Room residents Kniterate. It’s a new tool for digital knitting.
//www.kickstarter.com/projects/kniterate/kniterate-the-digital-knitting-machine
What is Kniterate?
Kniterate is a digital knitting machine that uses yarn to “print” digital clothing files. Via an easy-to-use internet platform, users can design garments from scratch, edit templates or upload their own images and press “knit”. It’s a modern hybrid of the large, expensive and impossible-to-use-without-a-technician industrial machines, and the good old hand operated domestic machine. It is a tool that every Fashion Studio, Fab Lab and Maker Space in the world needs to have – it’s just like 3D printing but for knitting.
Why should I be excited?
For starters, it will change the current supply chain model of the garment industry. At the moment retailers ship garments half across the world and end up with excess stock, which then they are forced to mark down, or even worse, throw away. With Kniterate, clothing is made locally and on demand, and because it’s made to shape there’s no waste due to cutting fabrics.
What can I do with this new tool?
It will provide a tool for makers to experiment with new types of yarns and fabrics. Perhaps we will create intricate knitted patterns with conductive yarns to create the new wave of wearables. This will help accelerate innovation in similar ways to how access to electronic components led garage hackers to create the personal computer industry. Very soon we will see the impact of this new machine in different industries like fashion, fabrics and materials sciences, performance wear and medicine.
Yes, you can even make shoes
Now what?
We’re hoping to have one here in Machines Room, which members will be able to use by the hour, half day or day, just like our other machines. If you’re interested, do register your interest here and we’ll let you know when it’s up and running this time next year.