A 3D knitted chair

The project Sit On A Knit by industrial knitter and engineer Rebekka Groeneveld explores the opportunities and limitations of 3D knitting through the design of a chair.

Typically, textiles are manufactured flat, in large panels, through knitting or weaving. They are then cut and sewn together to make garments and upholstery. 3D knitting on an industrial machine gives the possibility to shape the fabric during the production process, which saves on material and labour.

The Sit On A Knit project explores industrial 3D knitting for use in a chair. The resulting design is a so-called textile-hybrid structure in which the tension of bent tubes balances the stretchable knitted textile. The chair is deployable by releasing the attachments of the two overlapping panels. It shows a wide range of knit structures and yarn materials, can be configured for eight different aesthetics, is lightweight, and produced with minimal textile waste.

Photos: Rebekka Groeneveld