Who says knitting is for geriatrics? Thanks to a new Kickstarter project, it could be the newest hobby for millennials, too. That’s the hope of the creators of Kniterate, the digital knitting machine that promises to “bring fashion fabrication back to your neighborhood.” And indeed, it looks like those who have grown up in the digital age can’t wait to get their hands on a Kniterate — with over a month left in its Kickstarter campaign, the device has already more than doubled its fundraising goal of $100,000 with the support of 210 backers as of press time.
So what exactly is Kniterate? In essence, it’s an industrial knitting machine that will fit on your desk and turn your digital designs into knitted pieces of clothing. The team behind the device says that it’s managed to make the process of both designing and constructing knitwear “very easy.” Whether you want to make a scarf, a beanie, a tie, or for the more advanced, a dress, sweater, or yes, even shoes, you ought to be able to do it with this machine.
“We have developed Kniterate because we want everyone to be able to explore knitting’s potential,” the Kniterate team says on its campaign page. “Until now the only similar tools available were industrial knitting machines, which cost upwards of $50,000, take a lot of space, and require a technician to run. With Kniterate you can make personalized professional knitwear at the click of a button, and repeat and share your favorite designs over and over again.”
Even if you don’t have much knitting experience, Kniterate promises to do all the heavy lifting by computerizing the vast majority of the process. All you have to do is create your design (either from scratch or using one of the provided templates), then let Kniterate knit it for you, either completing the entire garment or producing pieces that you can easily assemble. From there, you can wear, gift, or sell your creations, and share them online with the broader Kniterate community.
Be warned, however, this is no cheap purchase — a Kniterate will set you back $4,700, and shipments are expected to begin in April 2018.
