Did a Robot Knit Your Jumper? (emf2026)

Machine knitting has grown in use and popularity over the past decade as domestic knitting machines have been rescued from dusty attics. Computerised knitting machines are now within reach for significantly less money than their older, more established industrial ancestors. But what makes an industrial knitting machine different from one you could have at home? What does it mean for it to be computerised? What is the difference between a ‘fully fashioned garment’ versus a ‘complete garment’? This talk will start with the fundamentals of how to knit a jumper and will walk through the industrial manufacturing history of knitting frames and machines, highlighting the mechanical engineering innovations that have allowed machines to move closer to replicating the agility of human hands knitting yarn. Did a robot knit your jumper? Probably not, but it is exciting to see how this technology is progressing and what it is enabling. Licensed to the public under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ about this event: https://www.emfcamp.org/schedule/2026/203-did-a-robot-knit-your-jumper