Introduction

DesignaKnit 7 for Windows is a powerful, affordable CAD/CAM program for designing knitwear available in Standard and Professional versions.  The Professional version is the full-featured program, allowing a greater freedom of creativity and a greater degree of control over the design process.

DesignaKnit 7 For Windows has the following minimum requirements:

• IBM PC Compatible computer with 386 processor, or higher at least 8Mb RAM (16Mb recommended). Please note that the recommended minimum for linking to a Silver Reed machine is: 486/25Mhz processor with 16Mb RAM
• SVGA (the program can run in VGA mode, but this restricts you to 16 basic colours. Further "dithered" colours are available, but these are not suitable for use with the copy and paste commands in the Stitch Designer section of the program. VGA mode also severely restricts the functionality of the DesignaKnit Graphics Studio, for which High Colour or True Colour mode is recommended for complex bitmaps and photographs).
• Windows 3.1, Windows 3.11, Windows 95/98/ME/XP or Windows NT4/2000/XP Pro
• 7Mb hard disk space.
• RS232 Serial Port for Cable Link.
  NB: DesignaKnit cables will not work from a USB port, even with a serial adapter.
  

Features

• Standard Garment Styling

Get off to a flying start by choosing one of the program's built in garment patterns and setting the knitting tension to match your chosen yarn and machine, then:

• select a garment type and add details of the wearer: specify adult, child or baby, male or female, and then choose from the range of standard sizes offered
• modify the garment by opting for one of three different kinds of fit - classic, casual or oversize - and see the effect on a body block, or choose no ease at all
• decide what kind of sleeves you would like: raglan, set-in, drop-shoulder or saddle; then select the type of front and back neckline required and the program will work out the garment pattern for you
• alter styling details such as rib or welt depth, overlap on cardigans and jackets; change the width and depth of the neckline; turn an ordinary set-in sleeve into a puffed sleeve; change the length of the cuffs, and so on
• for skirts, choose the number of panels and make them symmetric or asymmetric and alter the curve of the hemline

If you want more control over the design, you can use measurements you have entered yourself - there is even a database where you can store all your friends' and family's and customers' measurement data, ready to be accessed and used any time you want them.

You can alter and adjust body measurements individually and you can modify the ease on each one: there are a whole host of features to help you to produce the perfect garment.

The Standard Garment Styler is a feature of both the Standard and the Professional versions of DesignaKnit 7.

• Original Pattern Drafting (Not included in the Standard version)

A powerful array of drafting tools in this section of the program assists you to start garments from scratch, or you can import the pieces from the Standard Garment Styler and use them as the basis for an original design.

Create original pattern blocks from a square piece by setting the maximum dimensions and adding, deleting and moving points until you achieve the shape you want:

• up to 16 pattern pieces per garment
• up to 150 points to define each piece
• display a grid in inches or centimetres or in stitches and rows
• use the Piece Table to place points exactly
• add symmetrical and asymmetrical curves to create necklines, armholes and design features
• insert and remove fabric anywhere on the piece
• control the type of gradient on vertical slopes
• measure around the perimeter between any two points
• measure in any direction from a single point
• re-scale the piece
• rotate pieces through any angle for bias or sideways knitting
• specify casting off or holding position for horizontal slopes
• add seam allowance
• add markers to points to match seams of place pockets, etc
• use the Grading feature to produce a range of sizes from your own designs

• Preparing for knitting

Other powerful features are there to help you prepare the pieces for knitting:

• cut pieces into separate sections for knitting
• join pieces into one section
• move pieces around against each other to match seams
• test the pieces against each other to match seams and markers
• try out the placement of pockets, collars, etc.
• experiment with layplans for Cut-and-Sew

Original Pattern Drafting is a feature of the Professional version of DesignaKnit 7.

 

• Designing Stitch Patterns

• Design stitch patterns in colour, texture, or both, depending on the intended knitting method
• Patterns of up to 800 stitches and 1,130 rows may be designed, depending on the available memory
• Stitch-related grid adapts to match the knitting tensions you enter
• Draw your own designs with the pencil, paintbrushes, fill tools, colour-replacer erasers, and filled and outline rectangle and ellipse tools
• Use these tools with colour or texture, or both
• Use custom brushes
• Capture motifs with the selection box of the single and multicolour/stitch-type lassos
• Draw or paint in colour and/or stitch type symbols
• Zoom in to work in close detail; zoom out for a wider view of your project
• View multiple repeats of your pattern, or just a single version
• Copy and cut to the Windows clipboard
• Paste any bitmap from the clipboard directly into your design
• Import graphics from the DesignaKnit Graphics Studio
• Experiment with symmetry using the Kaleidoscope tool
• Flip motifs horizontally or vertically
• Stamp motifs randomly or tile them across all or any part of the design
• Use any installed TrueType font to place text on your design, using colour or texture, or both, or custom fills
• Use a Graphics Tablet to trace or draw a design directly into the program
• Allocate symbols to colours for black and white charts, especially for handknitting or draw directly with symbols with or without colour
• Check you do not have too many colours in a row, and check the length of floats and awkward colour changes
• Separate up to six colours in a row for jacquard knitting, and check that there are no mistakes in the sequence
• Colour-changers are fully supported - graphic display allows you to change the default yarn arrangement
• Integrate stitch pattern with garment piece

• Printing

• DesignaKnit offers a range of diagrams and charts for garment shaping and stitch pattern instructions for both hand and machine knitting
• Use your colour printer to produce full-colour scale charts, or take advantage of the facility to use symbols instead of colours
• Print templates for punchcards, reader cards and mylar sheets
• Print templates for Knitleader and Knitradar
• Save printouts to bitmap files for use in other applications

 

• Integration

• Show the pieces singly or, by having more pattern repeats on screen, all the pieces of a garment at the same time
• Move pieces around and place with precision
• Place pieces exactly to position motifs and patterns
• Match side seams, sleeves to bodies and cardigan fronts
• For downloading to a knitting machine, DesignaKnit will make certain that the stitch pattern is placed centrally for each individual piece
• Cut out the spare fabric so that you can see exactly how the pieces will look when they come off the knitting machine. For fine adjustment of position, you can move the pieces around in cut-out mode

 

• Cut-and-Sew
  
  • Experiment with layplans, making sure that the pieces are correctly placed on the fabric
  • Use the cut-and-sew command to weld the shape to the stitch pattern
  • Fill necklines and armholes with a variety of stitch patterns - stripes, bird's eye, solid colour or outline
    
• Lace Tool

The Lace Tool is a special add-on for Stitch Designer. Click on the tool and you can draw lace patterns instantly, as they will look when knitted, leaving DesignaKnit to work out the lace carriage passes and settings. You can design lace for Brother and Silver Reed electronic machines, Brother and Silver Reed punch card machines and Toyota Machines. The Lace Tool is great for hand-knitted patterns too as it allows the designer complete freedom.

Brother Electronic Machines
With the Lace Tool you can draw both Lace and Fine Lace - and you can mix the two. You can design stitch patterns with bands of lace, Fair Isle and stitch texture in the same pattern, and you can even have lace and Fair Isle or texture in the same row. When you follow the pattern in Interactive Knitting, DesignaKnit will tell you when to change to the lace carriage, when to change the carriage settings from fine lace to normal lace and vice versa and when to change back to the knitting carriage, and when to change the knitting technique.

Silver Reed Electronic Machines
You can prepare lace patterns for both Simple and Fashion lace knitting and you can combine Fashion Lace with bands of Fair Isle or textured knitting. When you follow the pattern in Interactive Knitting, DesignaKnit will tell you when to change from Fashion to Simple lace settings and, if you are combining with other knitting techniques, when to change the carriage.

Toyota and other Punch Card Machines
If you have a Toyota machine you can design the lace as it will look when knitted, and DesignaKnit will automatically separate the lace selection to produce a template for the punchcard. Then, when you link to Interactive Knitting, via the ScreenLink, DesignaKnit will tell you which carriage to use and when to change.

Interface