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What is different about making sweaters and other knitwear: yarn, gauge, how it is knitted and how to specify it.
Knitwear is made in a different way from most clothing. In many cases the garment is knitted from yarn into shape, and not cut from fabric. That changes the vocabulary, the specifications and the timeline. This guide explains the basics for brands making sweaters, cardigans and other knits. For general production, see how to find a clothing manufacturer.
Two main routes exist. Cut-and-sew knit garments are cut from knitted fabric and sewn, like a T-shirt. Flat-knit or fully fashioned sweaters are knitted in shaped pieces on a knitting machine and then joined, so there is little cutting waste. The route changes the look, cost, minimums and which factories you can use.
Yarn fiber and thickness drive the feel, warmth and price. Wool, cotton, cashmere, acrylic and blends each behave differently in feel, pilling, shrinkage and care. Yarn thickness is described by systems such as Nm or Ne. Convert between them with the Fabric & Textile Unit Converter. Yarn that is dyed to your color often has its own minimum.
Gauge describes how fine or coarse a knit is, based on the knitting machine and the number of needles in a given width. A fine gauge makes a thin, smooth fabric and a coarse gauge makes a chunky one. Gauge, yarn and stitch pattern together set the weight, drape and cost of the garment, so specify all three.
Specify the yarn (fiber, count and color), gauge, stitch pattern and tension, any shaping or pattern details, the neck and cuff finishes, how the pieces are joined and the measurements, including how they are measured relaxed. Knits stretch and relax after washing, so state the expected finished measurements. Use the Tech Pack Template.
New knit designs often need programming on the knitting machine and several sample rounds to get the fit, hand-feel and pattern right. Leave plenty of time, and test for pilling, shrinkage and color. Use the Sample Tracking Log to keep rounds organized.
Choose a factory that makes your kind of knit and has the machines for your gauge. Ask about yarn sourcing, minimums per color, lead times and whether they make the garments fully fashioned or cut-and-sew.
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Yarn is usually the biggest cost, followed by knitting and finishing labor. Compare quotes carefully, because factories may quote different yarn and finishing.
Use the Garment Cost Sheet and Supplier Quote Comparison.
A fully fashioned garment is knitted in shaped pieces, so little fabric is cut away, and the pieces are then joined. It is different from cutting a sweater from a sheet of knitted fabric.
Gauge describes how fine or coarse a knit is, based on the knitting machine and its needles. Finer gauges give thinner fabrics, and coarser gauges give chunkier ones.
New designs often need to be programmed on the machine and adjusted for fit, hand-feel and pattern, so several rounds are common.
Pilling is small balls of fiber on the surface of a knit, caused by friction. It depends on the fiber, yarn and construction, so test it before production.
Browse the Apparel Search directory of knitwear factories, then request samples and ask what machines and yarns they work with.