Jacquard – what we’re working on

We’ve been focusing heavily on Jacquard. It will be part of the next WebApp update. Release date coming soon.

And as always, you’re invited to share your ideas and feedback — here, via chat, or on Facebook.

Because Jacquard is not just colour.

👉 it’s how a row is broken into passes
👉 how those passes interact
👉 and how that builds the fabric you actually feel

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Where we are right now

Currently we work on a smart tool which give you options.

Balance

Balance creates a fixed, repeatable structure.

AA BB CC

Every row follows the same rhythm —
even if the pattern doesn’t need it.

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And this is where the difference comes in:

Most tools create empty passes by design.

They define an algorithm first
→ then force every row to follow it

Which means:

👉 empty passes are not accidental
👉 they are built into the system by design

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What that actually does to your fabric

Each pass is not neutral.

So when you add empty passes, you are not adding “nothing”
👉 you are adding yarn without visual purpose.

And that matters.

As Alessandrina Costa shows in her work on color separation,
every additional pass lays yarn into the fabric —
forcing stitches to stretch and directly affecting structure and appearance.

An “empty” pass still:

• lays yarn into the fabric
• affects tension
• changes thickness
• influences how much the backside shows through

👉 It builds fabric — just not visible design.

So the real question is:

“Is every pass doing meaningful work?”

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Our approach

We reverse the logic.

👉 we analyse the pattern first
👉 then build the pass sequence

So empty passes are reduced by design—
while still preserving a clear structure like
AA BB CC AA BB CC.

And then:

👉 you can still add structure if you want
(not the other way around).

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Unbalanced Flow

Unbalanced is the purest version of this idea.

Example:

Row 1: AA BB
Row 2: AA CC
Row 3: BB CC DD

Instead of forcing:

AA BB CC DD for every row

Flow does:

👉 only what the row actually needs

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Result:

• fewer passes
• faster knitting
• a backside that reflects the real structure

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But yes — trade-off:

👉 rows are no longer identical

And that changes the feel of the fabric.

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This is important:

Balanced = predictable structure
Unbalanced = pattern-driven structure

Neither is “right”

👉 but now you can choose

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Max Colors — the hidden control layer

Max Colors defines:

👉 how many color blocks a row can use

Auto mode
→ is Balanced

Manual mode
→ you set the limit

Example

Design has 5 colors
—but most rows don’t use all 5

Allow all 5:

👉 heavier rows
👉 more passes than needed

Set:

👉 Max Colors = 4

Now you can optimizes within that limit

Result

→ fewer unnecessary passes
→ fewer empty blocks
→ cleaner, more stable fabric

👉 You are shaping the image
👉 You are in control

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…and to give you maximum freedom:

👉 you can see every single pass in eKnitter
👉 and even download it for manual improvement

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Comparsion

	Double Row same return	Classic empty return	Heart of Pluto	Jacquard (eKnitter)
Decision	None	Fixed	Rules + lookahead	Pattern analysis
Considers	Nothing	Fixed order	Current + next	All relevant colors
Empty passes	Many	Many	Fewer	Only unavoidable
Transparency	Clear, inefficient	Clear, inefficient	Unclear for non-technicians	Transparent and understandable in the image
Adapts?	❌	❌	⚠️	✅