Knitwear, Crochet & Spaced Dye
Thirty years ago, when we first set up shop in Bali & established King Trading, hand-machine-made knitwear in plain colours & space dye, as well as hand-made Crochet, was very much in demand.
For many years we studied the techniques needed to understand how to hand-dye yarn & set up the machines required for different thicknesses of knitwear. For those familiar, we mostly use 3.5 & 7 gauge machines. It’s all quite a process, but after some time, we established our own knitting factory producing for some big names across the globe.
Now, once again, we are seeing a resurgence in the popularity of these products. If you want to know how this is all achieved, we have laid out most simply what we require from you & how we achieve the desired results.
What we require
- The designs you’re interested in producing as a tech pack. A front and back screenshot may also be acceptable.
- Using the colour chart, your choice of colour is either plain or space dye.
- The knit or Crochet construction
Design Examples
Design Examples
Selecting Plain Colours
The colours in the chart are generally available pre-dyed in both Rayon and Cotton. Rayon has a softer hand feel & a nicer drape, more suitable for styles with less structure, such as flowy dresses & cover-ups. Cotton is most commonly selected for styles with more structure and better for winter styles. In reality, both rayon & cotton can be used for almost any shape you desire.
You can select your colours from the chart below and send them over using the colour codes provided. If the yarn is out of stock, allow three to four weeks for dying the yarn.
In most cases, black and white are always available.
Please note that we do not offer custom colours.
Colour Chart
Space Dyed Knitwear
If this style of blending colours is appealing, what we have to do first is to hand-dye the yarn in your colour choices. Let’s imagine you like the combination of dark blue, light blue & ivory.
First, we have to produce a loose knitted construction & then we dye as evenly as possible to create your selected colourway. Also, at this point, you may select to make one colour prominent, for example, 50% dark blue, 25% light blue & 25% ivory.
This technique of hand-dying yarn is also often referred to as Rainbow dyed knitwear.
Once the yarns have been dyed, we spin the yarns back onto bobbins & then hand-knit your selected design in your selected construction.
See example images below
Mixing Plain Dyed Yarns
An alternative way to achieve a similar effect, costing slightly less & faster to produce, would be to select shop-bought plain dyed yarns, which we knit in your desired colour choices.
Knitwear Produced using Tabletop Machines
We knit your selected designs in the construction & colours of your choice using heavy-duty tabletop knitting machines operated by skilled technicians. Please be clear that when we refer to a design, we are talking about the style or shape, & when we talk about the construction, it refers to the actual construction of the knit, for example, cable knit, ribbed, mesh & so on.
Any design can be knitted in any construction in any colour, plain or Space dye. Knitwear is produced in panels and then linked together at the seams to form your desired shape. Knitting this way is the most professional method of hand-knitting. However, in some cases, this is not possible, meaning we produce long lengths of knitwear similar to how fabric comes in 150cm widths, which is then cut & sewn into shape.
Please see the images and videos below to understand better how this process works.
Hand Made Crochet
Since we do not handle Crochet in-house, we hire teams of crochet makers in specific villages throughout Bali. They have to travel to and from our office, taking several hours to pick up sample requests, so please be as clear and accurate as possible with your handover. Use the best images you can find and make clear notes on any changes you want to be made.
Since Crochet is made using crochet hooks or needles by hand, sometimes taking a day or more to make, we don’t accept overtly complex orders. Crochet is an implement used to make loops in thread or yarn and to interlock them into crochet stitches.
Please keep your crochet techniques relatively simple since we do not take on complex styles. Scalloped edges and ties, such as crochet flowers, can be added, but nothing overtly complex.
Remakes are charged if samples are not approved.
MOQs
Three hundred pieces, three units per design, colour & size.
Please note. We can reduce the MOQ if you order swimwear, activewear, or ladieswear.