Custom Knitwear Manufacturer in Los Angeles

We manufacture a full range of knitwear styles for women's, men's, and unisex brands: pullovers (crewneck, v-neck, mock neck, turtleneck), cardigans (buttoned, open-front, belted, oversized), crew neck and v-neck sweaters, shawl collar and cable knit sweaters, knit tops and cropped sweaters, knit dresses (midi and mini), knit vests and gilets, shrugs and boleros, chunky knit sets (coordinating top and bottom), and outerwear knit coats and capes. We produce in wool, cashmere, cotton, acrylic, and blended fibers across a 3GG to 14GG gauge range — from bulky hand-knit-look sweaters to fine gauge luxury pieces. Coordinated knit collections (matching sweater and cardigan in the same yarn and gauge) are a specialty.

Fully fashioned knitwear is shaped on the knitting machine: each panel (front, back, sleeves) is knit to the exact final shape using increase and decrease stitches at the edges during knitting. There is no cutting of knitted fabric — only trim excess selvedge. Panels are then linked (joined by a specialist linking machine that interlocks loops rather than sewing through fabric), producing a clean loop-to-loop seam with no raw edge. Fully fashioned is the premium construction method: there is no fabric waste, the seams are structurally superior, the garment drapes better, and the panel edges are finished as part of the knitting process. It requires more sophisticated knitting machinery (flat-bed computerized knitting machines) and skilled linking operators. Cut and sew knitwear starts from knitted fabric on rolls — fabric is laid and cut the same way woven fabric is cut, then the cut panels are sewn together on a serger or coverstitch machine. The seam allowance is cut knit fabric — there is a raw edge that must be serged. Cut and sew is faster and more economical for high-volume production and simpler styles. The distinction matters for quality positioning: luxury and premium knitwear brands typically spec fully fashioned; contemporary and fast fashion knitwear uses cut and sew.

Merino wool is the most versatile knitwear fiber: fine-diameter Merino (16–21 microns) is soft against the skin with no itch, has excellent moisture-wicking and temperature regulation, and produces a smooth, pill-resistant fabric in fine gauge (12GG–14GG). Extra-fine Merino (19 microns and below) is the standard for luxury knitwear. Cashmere (from Cashmere goat undercoat) is the luxury standard: softer than Merino, lighter in weight, with a characteristic warmth-to-weight ratio unmatched by other fibers. 100% cashmere is subject to pilling — a cashmere/Merino blend (50/50 or 70/30) improves durability while retaining the softness credential. Lambswool (first shearing from lambs) is softer than standard wool, cost-effective, and used for mid-gauge sweaters and cardigans. Shetland wool (from Shetland Island sheep) is sturdier and used for heritage-style cable knits and Fair Isle patterns. Cotton knit is used for spring/summer knitwear, lighter gauge sweaters, and knit tops — 100% cotton, cotton/linen blend, or cotton/modal. Acrylic and acrylic blends are cost-effective and machine washable — used for mid-market, childrenswear, and contemporary knitwear. Alpaca (from alpaca fleece) is hypoallergenic, softer than sheep wool, with a silky luster — used in premium and boutique knitwear. Mohair (from Angora goat) produces a characteristic halo/fluffy texture — used in small proportions (Kid Mohair/silk blend: 70/30) as the primary fiber or blended with polyamide for structure.

Gauge (GG) refers to the number of stitches per inch of the knitting machine needle bed — it determines the stitch size and the hand feel of the final fabric. We produce across the following gauge ranges: 3GG (super chunky): very large stitches, open texture, bulky hand-knit appearance; used for statement sweaters, chunky knit sets, and blanket-weight pieces. 5GG (chunky): large stitches, rib-knit and basic stitch textures; used for casual chunky sweaters and coats. 7GG (medium/worsted): mid-weight standard; the most common gauge for everyday sweaters, cardigans, and knit tops in wool and cotton. 10GG (light medium): lighter weight than standard, allows more stitch detail; used for finer sweaters and structured knit tops. 12GG (fine): lightweight fine-gauge knitwear that resembles a woven fabric to the eye; used for luxury merino and cashmere sweaters. 14GG (superfine): the finest machine gauge; used for luxury cashmere and extra-fine merino pieces. Gauge selection is driven by the fiber count of the yarn — bulkier yarn cannot run on fine-gauge machines. Gauge is confirmed during the tech pack review before pattern work begins.

Our minimum is 50 pieces per style per colorway for most knitwear styles. For fully fashioned construction, 50 pieces is the minimum due to machine programming and linking setup costs — fully fashioned knitwear requires programming each style on the computerized flat-bed machine, and setup cost is amortized across the production run. Cut and sew knitwear minimums are also 50 pieces per colorway. For intarsia styles (color-pattern knitwear knit in during production), we recommend a 100-piece minimum to absorb the programming and color-change setup time on the knitting machine. Cashmere styles have a higher cost per unit — pricing is driven by raw material cost, not MOQ. Volume orders of 300 or more pieces qualify for tiered pricing. Multi-color coordinated knit sets should be ordered together with minimum 50 pieces per piece (top and bottom ordered at the same time for yarn lot consistency).

Yes. Intarsia is a color-work technique where different colored yarns are knitted into specific areas of the fabric from separate yarn carriers on the flat-bed machine — each color area is a distinct section of knitting, producing a right-side color pattern with a clean reverse (no floats). True intarsia produces large color-block motifs, pictorial patterns, and graphic designs as part of the fabric structure — the color is constructed in, not printed or embroidered. Intarsia requires programming each color zone in the machine pattern file, which increases setup time and per-unit production time versus solid-color knitting. Jacquard knitwear (also called Fair Isle or double-knit jacquard) uses two or more yarn colors carried across the full width of the fabric on every needle row — unused color yarn floats on the reverse side. This produces all-over repeating color patterns (geometric, Fair Isle, bird/animal motifs) with a visible float structure on the inside of the garment. Jacquard produces a double-weight fabric (two layers of yarn on every row) and is warmer and heavier than single-color knitwear of the same gauge. Intarsia is used for placement motifs; jacquard is used for all-over repeat patterns. Both require artwork in repeat format supplied before tech pack review — we convert your artwork to machine stitch file format.

Full package knitwear manufacturing covers every step from yarn sourcing through retail-ready packaging. Yarn sourcing (merino, cashmere, cotton, acrylic, or blend per your spec) from certified spinners with fiber content documentation. Stitch programming (for fully fashioned and intarsia styles) from your tech pack or reference garment. Knitting (fully fashioned panel production or roll knitting for cut and sew). Linking (panel joining for fully fashioned garments) by specialist linking operators. Cut and sew assembly (for cut and sew styles): overlocking, coverstitch, shoulder seaming, sleeve set-in, and neckband attachment. Trim application: buttons, zippers, drawstrings, pockets, and embellishments. Boarding and steaming (shaping the knitted panels to finished measurements on a steam press or boarding machine). Final QC (stitch count per gauge, seam integrity, button attachment, garment dimensions per size spec). Labeling and packaging: woven labels, care labels, hangtags, and polybag or folded box packaging.

Knitwear construction differs from woven apparel in three primary areas: seam methods, panel finishing, and dimensional stability. Seam methods: fully fashioned knitwear uses linking — a process where the loops of two adjacent knitted panels are interlocked stitch-for-stitch on a linking machine. The linked seam has no fabric seam allowance; it is a loop-to-loop join that is flexible, flat, and as strong as the knit structure itself. Cut and sew knitwear uses a four-thread overlock (serger) for body seams and a coverstitch machine for hems and neckbands — the seam allowance is cut fabric and must be controlled with correct stitch tension to prevent the seam from being stretched out during sewing. Panel finishing at edges: fully fashioned garments have a closed loop at all knit edges (neck, waist, sleeve cuffs, hem) produced by the knitting machine — no separate rib trim is required unless specified. Cut and sew styles require a separately knit rib trim (ribbing) attached to the neck, cuffs, and hem by overedging. Dimensional stability: knitted fabrics relax in wet finishing (washing and steaming). Knitwear is always checked for shrinkage before full production begins — a test swatch is washed, dried, and measured against the original dimensions. Garments are also measured after boarding (steam-pressing on a shaped form) to confirm the finished dimensions match the size spec before bulk production is completed.

Yes. Private label knitwear manufacturing includes custom woven labels (brand name and logo, sewn at center back neck or inside side seam), printed care labels with fiber content (required by FTC for all garments sold in the USA), button or closure in specified material and finish (horn, corozo, MOP, metal, plastic), hangtags with your brand artwork, and polybag or folded-box packaging. For cashmere and luxury knitwear, premium packaging (rigid box, tissue paper, ribbon closure) is available for DTC gift and holiday collections. Woven labels for knitwear must include fiber content at the yarn level — if the garment is 70% merino wool and 30% nylon (nylon added for strength), the label must state this exactly. Care label for wool knitwear typically states dry clean only or hand wash cold, lay flat to dry — this is confirmed per fiber and construction type during tech pack review. Private label knitwear from 50 pieces with full label and packaging setup.