Yarn Designers Tutorial Kit

Yarn designers have to know what machinery they have available to them and what that machinery is capable of producing. They will usually start with ideas collected on their travels; colour ideas, texture ideas, looks and moods that they see as becoming important in future. They should have an understanding of their existing and potential customers and what they want.

The development of a range of yarns may involve the creation of completely new yarn using a newly developed fibre. It may involve the tweaking and fine-tuning of existing production ranges to meet the requirements of a future market. An existing yarn quality may require to be re-coloured so that it can be used to service a fashion market. Some ranges of yarns will fun for season to season servicing a classic market area. For example a range of knitwear yarn for a manufacturer of schoolwear will include the classic colours navy, maroon, grey, bottle green, bright red and bright blue.

The knowledge base that yarn designer will have built up is the springboard from which they work, in conjunction with technicians and development personnel, looking at the overall range, determining qualities and the types of yarn appropriate to their market area. The selling cost of the yarn must also be considered.

Colour is very important and yarn designers will often subscribe to colour prediction publications to help them determine their colour palettes. The same colour or shades of colours will often run through the different yarn types. Co-ordination is as important in yarn designs as in any other area, helping the customer to see how the product can be used and often prompting more sales. Yarns may be designed to work with other qualities in the range.

Sample yarns will be specified and made using different components and in different colourways until the designer is happy with the handle and appearance. The yarns may have to perform in specific situations and they will have to tested to ensure that any such performance requirements are met.