Process guide
How Sweaters Are Made: Our Knitwear Development and Production Process.
A sweater goes through more than 20 steps between the first sketch and the shipping carton. This guide follows them in order, in three stages: development, pre-production and bulk production. For each step it explains what happens in the factory, what you approve, and how long it usually takes.
By Marcia Lee, Business Manager at Knitwear World · Updated October 2026
At a glance
Three stages from idea to shipment.
Stage 1
Development
- Design brief or style selection
- Yarn choice and trial swatch
- Knitting specification
- Pattern design and machine programming
- Sample knitting, linking and hand finishing
- Washing, milling or printing, then pressing
- Sample check
Not right? Back to the machine. Revisions normally take 1–3 days.
Stage 2
Pre-production
- Yarn use, garment weight and labour time costed
- Your changes made; pattern graded; size and colour sets if needed
- Bulk yarn received, checked, wound onto cones and waxed
- Pre-production sample knitted and approved
- Sample sealed as the bulk standard
Approval of the pre-production sample and colours starts the bulk lead time.
Stage 3
Bulk production
- Knitting, followed by a merchandiser
- In-line random checks
- Linking and hand sewing
- Buttons, zips, labels and trims
- Washing, milling or printing
- Pressing to size and shape
- Final inspection
- Packing and warehouse
- Shipment
Bulk normally takes 30–40 days from approval.
Not every style passes through every step. A plain knit needs no pattern programming, and a garment-dyed style is dyed after linking. Steps are sometimes added or swapped to suit the design, but the three approvals stay the same: the sample, the pre-production sample and the finished goods.
Stage 1
Development: from idea to approved sample.
1. Design brief or style selection
Development starts with your tech pack, a reference garment or photos, or a style chosen from our own designs and adapted for you. Tell us the target market, quantity per colour and target price at this point; they decide the yarn and gauge.
2. Yarn choice and trial swatch
We confirm the composition, colour and gauge, and knit a small trial swatch to check hand-feel, stitch density and how the yarn behaves. Colours are matched with lab dips on the actual yarn. If the yarn does not work, we go back to the brief before any sample is knitted.
3. Knitting specification
Our technicians write the knitting specification: gauge, stitch density, panel shapes and measurements, and how the panels will be joined. This sheet is the recipe that every later step follows, from the sample to bulk.
4. Pattern design and machine programming
For jacquard, intarsia, cable and other structured knits, the artwork is redrawn on the stitch grid and programmed for the computerized flat knitting machine. A knitted jacquard swatch is normally ready 2–3 days after we receive your artwork. If the pattern does not knit cleanly, the program is corrected before the sample is made.
5. Sample knitting, linking and hand finishing
The machine knits the shaped panels. Linking joins them stitch by stitch at the shoulders, sides, sleeves and collar. Hand finishing follows: mending, sewing in zips and attaching buttons.
6. Washing, milling or printing, then pressing
Washing relaxes the knit and sets its final size and hand-feel. Wool can be milled for a fuller, softer surface. Garment dyeing or printing is added only when the design needs it. Pressing then sets the garment to the measurements on the size chart.
7. Sample check
Every sample is measured and checked against your brief before it is sent. If it is not right, it goes back to the machine. A plain-knit first sample normally takes 3–5 days, and revisions normally take 1–3 days.
Our knitting floor in Jiaxing, and a finished sweater packed for shipment.
Stage 2
Pre-production: locking the standard.
Once you approve the sample, the work shifts from “does it look right” to “can we make it the same way hundreds of times”.
8. Costing per piece
We weigh the sample to calculate yarn use per garment and work out the labour time for each step. Together with trims and packing, these set the unit price.
9. Changes and grading
We make any changes you asked for and grade the pattern across the size range. When needed, we knit a full set of sizes and colours so you can check them side by side.
10. Bulk yarn in
Bulk yarn is checked on arrival against the approved lab dip and for defects. Yarn delivered in hanks is wound onto cones and waxed so it runs smoothly and evenly through the knitting machines.
11. Pre-production sample
The pre-production sample is knitted in the bulk yarn wherever possible, so you approve the colour and hand-feel that bulk will have. Once approved, it is sealed with the knitted swatch as the bulk standard.
| Stage | Typical time | What you approve |
|---|---|---|
| Jacquard swatch | 2–3 days after artwork | Pattern scale, colour balance and floats |
| First sample | Normally 3–5 days for plain knits | Look, fit and hand-feel |
| Revisions | Normally 1–3 days | The changes you asked for |
| Bulk production | 30–40 days from pre-production sample and colour approval | Final inspection before shipment |
Timing depends on the style, the yarn and the season; we confirm it in the quotation.
Stage 3
Bulk production: knitting to shipment.
Knitting
A merchandiser follows the order from the first panel, with random checks on the knitting floor.
Linking and sewing
Panels are linked, hand-sewn and fitted with buttons, zips, labels and trims.
Washing and pressing
Bulk is washed, milled or printed as approved, then pressed to size and shape.
Inspection
Measurements, appearance, labels and packing are checked against the sealed sample.
Packing and shipment
Goods are packed, stored and shipped. Third-party inspection is welcome before they leave.
Knitting, linking, washing, pressing, inspection and packing happen under one roof in our factory in Jiaxing. If you want to see a step for yourself, book a live video tour one to two days ahead.
For buyers
What to send, and when.
- Before sampling: tech pack or reference, yarn and colour references, quantity per colour, target price and delivery date
- After the first sample: fit and measurement comments in writing, with photos
- Before bulk: approval of the pre-production sample and colours, label and packing instructions, and your inspection plan
- Before shipment: your inspection or release, and shipping details
Our standard MOQ is 300 pcs per style with at least 50 pcs per colour. Sampling costs 1.5× the FOB unit price, credited against your bulk order.
How sampling works →
See our factory and quality checkpoints →
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