Do you still knit all the items on your own knitting machine?
No, I have switched to a manufacturer in China that knits each item on demand. My machine was sold to a university and is happily knitting along for grad students doing fun things in topology. Each item now ships from China from my manufacturer.
What is the quality of these knit items?
The quality is fantastic. We have moved to four color designs for most of our designs and implemented custom dithered fades. The yarn is quite soft to the touch. The knits can pill or fuzz slightly under the armpits or places of wear because the yarn is soft. Each knit is now more detailed because the stitch gauge (stitch size) is smaller than my old designs. The pieces of the sweater are shaped on the knitting machine and then assembled with a linker. There is no cut and sew employed, each item is a high quality knit item.
Are these designs AI generated?
No. The code is static code that generates each line of knitwear. Where possible, the code to generate your knit item is also emailed to you so you can play with the design in code as well. We aim to make computer coded knitwear fun!
Are the preview images of the knits AI generated?
No. The rendered preview images are made with code that wraps the actual pixel art design on a tubular shape and wraps each sleeve in a tubular shape. The images reflect the actual design of the knit that you will receive. Note that each size is custom generated from code so check the rendered images for the specific size you are ordering. No knit item we make is skewed or chopped, only pixel native where one pixel equals one knit stitch. Also note that each knit stitch is a little "v" where it is usually taller than wide, not exactly square like a pixel on most modern computers.
Are all the knit items one-off and unique?
No. Some items from certain collections are provably unique and one off. Once you purchase it, no one else can purchase that exact one. They can purchase a similar but unique patterned knit item. Some examples of one-off unique knits we currently offer are the 1D CA knits, Skeleton Keys SHA-256 scattered key knits, and Seashell knits. All are unique and retired designs after you purchase your particular knit item.
Making your order
How long will my order take?
From the day you order, including knitting time: Air Economy, about 20 to 30 business days, or Air Express, about 14 to 21 business days. You will see the estimate at checkout and again in your confirmation email.
Why does it take that long?
Nothing is pre-made. There is no warehouse of sweaters or blankets, and every item is knit custom and on-demand . When you order, your piece goes into the queue and is knit for you, in your size and your colorway, and then shipped.
Can I cancel or change my order after I place it?
No. Knitting begins as soon as your payment goes through, so we cannot cancel an order or change the design, colorway, size or garment once it is placed. Please check your choices carefully before you pay.
I got my address wrong. Can you fix it?
No, please check your mailing address carefully before placing an order.
Size and fit
How do I choose a size?
The surest method is to measure a sweater you already own and like the fit of. Lay it flat, measure straight across from armpit to armpit, and compare that number to our size guide. Garment measurements beat body measurements every time, because they already account for how loose you like to wear things.
If you are between sizes, or unsure which fit to choose, email us before you buy. We would far rather spend five minutes helping you pick than have you end up with something that does not fit, because we cannot take it back.
Will it shrink?
Probably a little. Our knits are 55% cotton, and cotton shrinks: most of it in the first wash. All the measurements we publish are taken before washing, so treat them as the starting point rather than the forever size. A hot wash followed by a hot tumble dry will shrink a piece noticeably more than a cold wash will.
How should I wash it?
Cold machine wash on a gentle cycle, then reshape while damp and dry flat, or tumble dry on low. Cold water and low heat are what keep the fit you started with. Avoid bleach, and do not wring it out.
The knitwear itself
What is it made of?
55% cotton and 45% polyester, knit in double bed birds-eye jacquard. The cotton gives it the handle and the breathability; the polyester holds the pattern crisp and keeps the piece from stretching out of shape. Every design is knitted into the fabric, not printed on top of it, so it cannot crack, peel or fade off. They are wonderfully soft and skin friendly, and may fuzz slightly or pill under the arm pits or places where they are rubbed.
What are the patterns?
Every design is generated by a program rather than drawn by hand. Some are deep zooms into the Mandelbrot set, each one a specific coordinate on that infinite boundary. Some are one-dimensional cellular automata, grown row by row from a row of single starting cells. Some come from reaction-diffusion systems, mathematical equations that determine the patterns on a real sea shell. And some are the actual contents of vintage computer boot roms, read out byte by byte and knitted as they are.
The pixel art knit into each garment and blanket is the output of mathematics, and is pixel native where one pixel equals one knit stitch. Each size is custom rendered in code to be pixel native. Please check the rendered images for each size; in each size the image is perfectly made to fit the sweater or blanket.
Shipping
Where do you ship?
To the United States and to 25 other countries. The full list is in our shipping policy. If your country is not on it, we cannot ship there yet.
How much is shipping?
Air Economy is free to the United States, and free to Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, China and Mexico. Everywhere else it starts at $8.50 and rises with the number of items. Air Express costs more and is faster in transit only — it does not speed up the knitting. Exact rates are calculated at checkout before you pay.
Will I have to pay customs or import taxes?
On Air Economy, no. Import duties and taxes are already included in what you pay us, and there is nothing extra to pay when your parcel arrives. The same is true of every shipping method to the United States.
On Air Express outside the United States, your local customs authority may charge duties or VAT on delivery, and your carrier may add a fee for collecting them. That includes all orders to Norway and Hong Kong SAR, because Air Economy is not available to those two destinations.
How do I track my order?
You will get an email with a tracking number once your order leaves the knitting facility. Tracking often takes a few days to show any movement, particularly on international routes. That is normal and does not mean your parcel is lost.
If something goes wrong
Can I return it if I change my mind?
No. Every piece is knit custom and on-demand, so we cannot accept returns or exchanges for change of mind, for a size you decided against, or for an item you no longer want.
What if it arrives damaged, or it is not what I ordered?
Email us within 30 days of delivery with your order number and a photo if your item is damaged or faulty, is the wrong design, colorway, size or garment, or is materially different from how it was described on our site.
What if it never arrives?
Contact us if your order has not arrived within 30 days past the end of its estimated delivery window.
Still stuck?
Email knityaks@gmail.com with your order number and we will help. Knityak is still a one woman shop so please be patient with me during busy times of the year.