In the textile field, digital crafting is a relatively unexplored domain that requires further investigation in relation to the tools of the field and the aesthetic consequences of their use on the design. Computer software such as SDS-ONE APEX4 and computerised flat-bed knitting machines made by Shima Seiki are examples of the digitisation of analogue textile processes, and make use of digitally controlled material-fabrication methods. In adopting an exploratory approach to textile digitisation, this research aims to: i) explore methods of digital craftsmanship with a focus on textile materials and tools for the design of smart textiles, and ii) test the aesthetic possibilities of sketching smart textile artefacts using a hybrid workflow.

This paper presents a hybrid workflow composed of methods emerging from the synergy between experiential knowledge of materials and experiments with digital media. One category of experiments addressed the material level. By utilising digital tools for the virtual sampling of colour-changing smart materials, two changes in textiles were explored: from white to coloured in response to UV light, and from bright to dark in light-emitting yarns being recharged by UV light. The different timings of the colour changes and dimming of the smart yarns were documented and digitised, resulting in a library of colour swatches of gradients based on dynamic material behaviour. The swatches were combined with multi-layered textile structures, digital textures, and simulations of smart and conventional yarns to design the surface of textiles using the knit and weave design software SDS-ONE APEX4. In the sketches, every pixel represented a knit stitch or meeting of a warp and weft thread, providing information about material, structure, and colour at a specific point in time. Another category of experiments addressed the relationship between material and form; the colours swatches were further mapped on three-dimensional objects in Blender software to generate new forms and explore how dynamic surface effects influence the perception of form.

The experiments presented in this case study suggest that digitising a process that is based on the physical behaviour of yarns and textile structures offers an alternative medium for exploring smart materials more sustainably, expanding physical experimentation into the digital. This hybrid process enables designers to move between software packages and collaborate across professional knowledge domains, with the potential to develop cross-disciplinary and more sustainable material practices.