Casual, cool, robust – are attributes normally attributed to jeans, which have their roots in hard wearing work clothes. Today the jeans fabric denim is the basis for the popular ‘used look’ of many well-known designers and manufacturers. Leading flat knitting machine builder Stoll was inspired by this style and has created something completely new for its latest Denim Trend Collection.

The used look is an artificial one which gives the appearance of heavily worn clothing. The fashion industry has been following this trend for some years now and uses it for example as washed-out, torn, scratched off or similar effects.

Jeans inspiration

For Jörg Hartmann, head of department at Stoll Fashion & Technology, the inspiration came while he was on a trip to Paris for the new Stoll Trend Collection - purchasing a pair of vintage jeans triggered the inspiration and this became the highlight for the new denim style Trend Collection.

Stoll developed its Denim Trend Collection using an interesting new technique transferring the used look to knitwear without having to apply the complex mechanical processes associated with distressing denim fabrics.

The exciting bit, the ‘destroying effect’ is produced directly on the knitting machine. Knitted garments – in contrast to the woven denim used in jeans – cannot be subjected to the wear and tear techniques employed in distressing denim as the rubbing or abrading techniques would cause drop stitches allowing unravelling and rendering the fabrics useless.

By employing an innovative Stoll developed software based knitting program to create new knitting techniques and by using a special denim knitting yarn, it is now however possible to authentically create ‘destroyed’ effects. In doing so, the flat knitting machine builder says it has succeeded in demonstrating the unrestricted possibilities in respect of denim, for knitted garments.

Stoll has been working closely together with project partners from Spain and Germany to develop its denim knitting technique. The basis for the collection – the indigo coloured knitting yarn, which is typical for denim, was produced by the Spanish company Industrias Morera. The indigo colour has low surface adhesion to the yarn’s  fibres, which means that the colour detaches itself quickly from the yarn during processing, creating the used-look.

From a finishing point of view, the used-look for Stoll was developed in cooperation with CHT Beitlich from Tübingen in Germany which is known worldwide for its know-how in denim.

According to Stoll, its denim knitting technique is not only unique in the market but it also offers ecological, social, and economic advantages to the manufacturer. The production of the used-look by the knitting process is very different in that it is environmentally friendly, using a lot less water during the production than woven denim.

In addition, Stoll says, there is the time saving factor compared to the usual manufacture of denim goods by cutting down on production steps - the knitted product leaves the knitting machine almost ‘ready-to-wear’ with no need for complex wear-and tear and washing process, which require additional labour.

Stoll CMS ADF-3

In order to realize the denim knitting patterns in practice, prerequisites were not only the new knitting programs, but also the introduction of new hardware in the form of a new machine for translating the denim-look – the Stoll CMS ADF-3.

 “The STOLL CMS ADF-3 was especially designed for meeting the requirements of a denim production and offers optimal conditions for a perfect, authentic denim-look. Thanks to the new technical properties of the machine this look can be guaranteed. Especially due to the vertically as well as horizontally programmable movements of the yarn carriers the CMS ADF- 3 proves to be extremely flexible and is therefore particularly suitable for producing the denim knitwear,” Stoll explains.

H. Stoll GmbH & Co. KG is a leading manufacturer of flat knitting machines which is known worldwide and located in Reutlingen in Germany’s Baden-Wurttemberg region. The long-established company was founded in 1873 and employs about 1000 people worldwide.

The Stoll brand portfolio comprises flat knitting machines and pattern software that are used for producing modern, technical and medical textiles and which are successfully exported to 70 countries across the globe.

Together with subsidiaries, sales and service centres and numerous representatives, Stoll offers a holistic service program. Stoll’s production, concentrated at its German location and its innovative technical developments enable it to develop many knitting trends, which are presented in its own inspiring collections.

Further reading

Stoll Trend Collection - 'Denim A Vision'

Stoll launches new CMS ADF-3 in 140th anniversary year

Stoll’s ADF technology: A new dimension in flat knitting?