New thinking in designing buoyant knitted textiles

Abstract

Over the last decade, interdisciplinary engagement with knitting has opened up an emerging space for designers to explore new materials and technologies that question conventional forms of textile making and meaning. This research aims to explore the design options for buoyant textile which can further be applied to buoyant swimwear which was achieved by the combination of knitting technology and colouration. The influence of various colouring method on the buoyant knitted fabric was applied, evaluated and compared with the knitted textile which was produced by conventional knitting technology. The optimum design option was observed in terms of the aesthetic, durability and quality control which are crucial for knitwear designers during the design process. The shaping knitting technique created the shape of body panels for a buoyant swimsuit that could significantly reduce material wastage. UV printing, water marbling and hand-drawing by Acrylic paints were selected for colouring meanwhile knitting stitches and shaping technique were explored for improving the knitted aesthetic. The result showed that UV printing could print graphics with high resolution and the quality could be controlled. Therefore, UV printing incorporated with shaping knitting technique was an optimal design option for the development of buoyant swimwear.