Where Creativity and Craftsmanship Come Together in Jacquard Knitting

Where Creativity and Craftsmanship Come Together in Jacquard Knitting

At Relooped, our products are far from just plain printed fabrics. They are knitted using the so-called jacquard technique, also known as intarsia. This artful method, named after the Italian word for mosaic, has revolutionized the world of knitting. Imagine putting together a puzzle, where each piece is a block of solid color that seamlessly merges into a beautiful design. During this process, stitches act as colored pixels, decorating the fabric without traditional printing or embroidery. It’s like painting directly onto the fabric. Unlike printed fabrics, intarsia knits are made with intricate patterns that are knitted using special knitting machines and techniques. In this article, we explore the technology we use to transform your drawings into soft knitted masterpieces.

A Dive into the History of Jacquard Knitting

Jacquard knitting traces its roots back to the early 19th century and is named after Joseph Marie Jacquard, the brilliant inventor of the Jacquard loom. This groundbreaking invention changed the textile industry forever. Unlike conventional beisels, jacquard knitting is created using a Jacquard knitting machine equipped with a punch card system. This technological gem drives the intricate patterns and designs that are created during the knitting process. Remember those iconic oversized sweaters with colorful patterns that were so popular in the 80s? They owe their existence to computer-controlled knitting machines that were introduced in the early 1980s, which greatly accelerated and simplified the process of creating intarsia knit fabrics.

Two-Tone Scarves and Blankets: The Wonder of Double Jacquard

One of the most fascinating techniques we use is the method of double jacquard knitting. Double jacquard knitting involves working in two layers and connecting them as the yarns change color. When we receive your design, our journey to create your unique scarf or blanket begins. Initially, we convert your drawings into just two colors - the color of the drawing and the color of the background. One color is knitted on the top layer, while the other color is knitted on the background layer. This process results in a remarkable effect: a negative color rendering of your design appears on the back of your scarf or blanket, making it reversible.

Why the Canvas is Important

The nature of double jacquard knitting means that if the canvas is plain and has no design, your scarf or throw will be knitted as a hollow tube, connected only at the edges. To achieve a higher quality product, it is essential to spread your design across the entire drawing template. This will create multiple color changes and ensure that your knit fabric is connected evenly across the entire design, resulting in a superior product.

Benefits of Double Jacquard

The double jacquard technique offers several important advantages for your creation:

- Very fine and dense stitches: Each tiny stitch in the knitted fabric represents one pixel of your drawing. This means we can reproduce your design with exceptional detail and creative freedom.

- Double-sided design: With double intarsia, you get a two-sided product. Your original design adorns the front, while the back shows a unique negative color rendering, meaning it is reversible.

- Durability: The interlocking layers increase the durability of the product, ensuring it will stand the test of time.

Photo Blankets: The Art of Three-Color Jacquard

Our photo blankets are a tribute to the art of knitting. These cozy blankets are designed in three colors and use the three-color jacquard knitting technique. This method adds a touch of elegance and complexity to your photo blanket and brings out every detail beautifully. Your knitted photos will also get a touch of impressionist vibes.

The Three-Color Jacquard Technique

In three-color jacquard knitting, one color knits on the front, while the other two colors continue to knit on the back. With this technique, we get a multicolored dotted pattern on the back. These blankets are a bit heavier and have a cozy look that you want to wrap yourself in.

The Powerful Knitting Machines: 1400 Small Needles

Behind every knitted masterpiece lies a remarkable machine. At Relooped, we use knitting machines equipped with no less than 1400 tiny needles. These needles work together precisely and with every stitch create the precision and quality that we strive for in every product we make.

Your Ideas, Your Designs, Your Imagination in Full Glory

In the world of knitting, the jacquard technique is a true masterpiece. It allows us to transform your creative designs into tangible works of art, whether it’s a two-tone scarf, a reversible blanket or a vibrant photo blanket with a repeating pattern on the back. We strive for quality, craftsmanship and attention to detail in every piece we produce. So, when you wrap yourself in your very own Relooped creation, know that you are not only surrounded by your imagination, but also by the art of knitting in all its glory.