Construction & Specification
Knitted Throws: Constructions, Sizes and What to Specify
A knitted throw is defined by four things: the knit structure, the yarn, the finished size, and the edge. Get those on paper and a manufacturer can quote and sample without guessing. Leave them vague and you get a throw that looks right in a photo and disappoints in the hand, because the two throws behind those photos can differ in weight, drape and durability by a wide margin.
This guide is for a buyer building a throw into a collection: what the common constructions actually are, what sizes to hold to, and the lines your specification needs before anyone can sample.
Why a knitted throw is not a woven throw
A woven throw is cut from cloth made on a loom, then hemmed. A knitted throw is built from interlocking loops, either shaped to size on the machine or knitted as a panel and finished. That difference drives everything a buyer cares about.
Knits stretch and recover, so a knitted throw drapes softly and forgives a slightly loose fold on a sofa arm. Knits also run and ladder if a loop is cut, which is why edge finishing matters more than on a woven piece. And because a knit is a structure rather than a print, the pattern is built into the fabric: a cable or a colourwork motif is knitted in, not applied afterwards. That is a selling point and a cost, both of which you should understand before you brief.
The three constructions to know
Most knitted throws sold at retail sit in one of three families. Each carries a different look, a different yarn logic and a different minimum.
Cable
Cable knitting crosses groups of stitches over each other to create the raised, rope-like columns you associate with a heavy winter throw. It reads as craft and warmth, and it suits a plain or heather yarn where the structure, not the colour, is the story. Cable uses more yarn per square metre than a flat knit because the crossings pull the fabric in, so a cable throw is denser and heavier for its size. Specify the cable type loosely if you must, but a reference sample removes all doubt.
Fair isle
Fair isle carries two or more colours across a row, knitting one and floating the others behind the work. It gives repeating geometric bands and motifs in a controlled palette. Because the unused colour floats on the back, fair isle has a right and a wrong side unless it is lined or knitted double, and long floats can snag. It is the natural choice for a patterned, multi-colour throw where the motif repeats steadily across the width.
Intarsia
Intarsia knits blocks of colour with separate yarn for each area and no floats behind, so both faces are cleaner and larger, non-repeating motifs become possible: a single large shape, a placed graphic, a colour-blocked panel. It is more labour-intensive to set up and to run than fair isle, which shows in the minimum and the sampling time. Reach for intarsia when the design is a statement rather than a repeat.
| Construction | Look | Yarn use | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cable | Raised rope columns, textural | High, dense fabric | Plain or heather winter throws |
| Fair isle | Repeating multi-colour bands | Moderate, floats on reverse | Patterned throws, controlled palette |
| Intarsia | Large blocks, placed motifs | Moderate, no floats | Statement or colour-blocked designs |
H & J Exim runs cable, fair isle and intarsia on its own knitting machines, alongside tubular-knit coverlets where a seamless closed edge is wanted.
Sizes to hold to
Throw sizing is less standardised than sheet sizing, but buyers still expect a throw to cover a specific use: a single bed runner, a sofa drape, a double-bed topper. Two sizes cover most of the retail throw market and are the ones to sample first.
| Size | Dimensions (inches) | Approx. (cm) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard throw | 50 x 60 | 127 x 152 | Sofa, armchair, single bed |
| Large throw | 60 x 80 | 152 x 203 | Double bed topper, generous sofa drape |
These are finished dimensions, and they are the two sizes H & J Exim knits throws to as standard. State whether your measurement is before or after washing, because a knit relaxes and can shrink on first wash, and confirm whether fringe or tassel length is included in the stated size. A 50 x 60 throw with a 3 inch fringe measures 56 inches if the fringe is counted and 50 if it is not, and that ambiguity causes returns.
What your specification has to say
A quotable throw brief names the following. Anything you leave out, the factory will assume, and its assumption may not match yours.
- Construction: cable, fair isle or intarsia, with a reference sample or a clear image of the motif.
- Finished size: width by length, stated before or after wash, with fringe included or excluded.
- Yarn: the fibre and the weight or gauge feel you want. Describe the hand you are after, a fine lightweight knit or a chunky heavy one, and let the manufacturer propose the yarn count that hits it.
- Colour: referenced to Pantone TCX so the match is objective rather than described. H & J Exim matches to Pantone TCX and runs lab dips and strike-offs for sign-off before bulk, using AZO-free dyes.
- Edge and finish: ribbed border, rolled edge, whipstitch, fringe or tassel, and whether the throw is single or double knitted. The edge is where wear shows first, so it is worth a line of its own.
- Weight target: a rough grams-per-square-metre or a finished piece weight if you have a benchmark, since it governs both feel and cost.
Give a manufacturer a physical reference sample wherever you can. A photograph cannot convey gauge, weight or the exact cable, and a strike-off knitted to your spec settles far more than an email thread. These lines then sit inside your wider private label brief, alongside minimums, sampling and colour sign-off.
Where a knitted throw is the wrong call
Concede this up front, because it saves a wasted sample round. If your design is a fine, flat, printed pattern with photographic detail, a woven throw takes it better than a knit, since colourwork knitting resolves motifs in blocks and bands rather than in fine gradients. If you need a very lightweight summer throw at low cost, a woven or a simple flat knit will usually beat a cable on price and weight. And if your motif is a dense, all-over repeat with many colours, the floats or the intarsia yarn changes can push the minimum and the price beyond what the line supports. Knitted throws earn their place on texture, warmth and built-in pattern. When those are not the point, look at the woven programme instead.
Common questions
What is the minimum order for a knitted throw?
At H & J Exim, knitted goods start from 50 pieces, set per quality and per colourway rather than per size. Fair isle and especially intarsia carry more setup than a plain cable, so confirm the minimum against your exact construction and palette when you brief.
How long does a knitted throw sample take?
Counter samples on knitted goods run to about 10 days from an agreed specification. Samples are chargeable and the cost is adjusted against your first bulk order. Bulk production runs from 60 days FOB after you approve the sample.
Can I match a throw to an existing collection colour?
Yes. Supply the colour as a Pantone TCX reference or a physical swatch, and it is matched with a lab dip submitted for your approval before bulk knitting starts. A described colour is not enough to hold a factory to; a TCX number or a swatch is.
Fair isle or intarsia for a large single motif?
Intarsia. It knits large colour blocks without floats behind the work, so a single placed graphic comes out clean on both faces. Fair isle suits repeating bands and smaller motifs where colours recur across every row. For a full brief on sampling and minimums, get in touch.