Parametric stitching: Co-designing with machines

Abstract

How might we co-design with a knitting machine to support the development of wearables? Could considering knit as a parametric material system enable diverse material knowledge sets of material science, digital design and knitting textile craft and technology to come together to create a rich inter-disciplinary space. This paper offers one such approach by conceptually considering knit as a parametric material system to support creative exploration and automated efficiencies grounded in material experiences. Both the opportunities and challenges are discussed. The paper highlights that a symbiotic entangling of analogue and digital practices is needed.