Most first enquiries are vague in the same way. A buyer sends a reference image, asks for a price and waits. What comes back is a number without a basis, and there is no way to tell whether it is competitive or whether it covers the things that will decide the project later: the yarn, the colour count, the size mix, the trim list, the number of correction rounds.
This guide is written from the buyer's side of the table. It uses an anonymised exchange between an independent clothing label preparing its first collection and a knitwear development factory, and pulls out the six questions that made the reply useful rather than decorative.
1. Ask for the commercial boundary first, not the price
A standalone paid prototype is a normal arrangement in knitwear development. It lets a factory recover the real costs of pattern work, programming, material and sample labour without either side committing to bulk. It is especially common with first-time buyers who have a design but no production history.
Say this explicitly at the top of the enquiry, and ask for written confirmation. It protects the buyer from an implicit deposit and protects a serious factory from spending weeks on a project that was never going to convert. If the reply blurs this point, or treats the sample fee as a credit that silently becomes an order deposit, you have learnt something important before spending money.
2. Ask for MOQ by style, colour and size — not one total number
"What is your MOQ?" is the most common first question and the least useful one on its own. A single figure hides the structure that actually drives production: how many colours, how many sizes, and whether the yarn is a stock line or a special dye.
Ask instead for the minimum expressed the way the factory will produce it. In the anonymised exchange, the answer was framed as two cases:
| Production case | Typical minimum | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One size only | ~50 pcs per colour | The quantity is concentrated, so knitting and finishing can run in a short continuous batch. |
| Multiple sizes (S/M/L/XL) | ~25 pcs per colour, per size | Each size needs its own program and set-up, so minimums are applied to the combination. |
Two follow-ups matter as much as the number itself. First: do the minimums change if the yarn is a stock line rather than a custom dye? Second: is there a separate minimum on fabric, yarn or trim — the half-zipper, the woven patch, the knitted collar — that could bind before the garment minimum does? Buyers routinely discover that a trim minimum, not the garment minimum, is the real constraint.
3. Ask for indicative pricing at three quantity scenarios
A single price at one quantity tells you almost nothing. Ask for indicative unit pricing at three levels and label them clearly as comparison scenarios, not commitments. That framing keeps the enquiry low-pressure while giving you the cost curve you need to plan a first season.
In the anonymised example, the factory quoted EXW China and offered a range rather than a fixed figure, because the final price depends on yarn quality, composition, garment weight, stitch structure and construction — all still open at enquiry stage:
| Material direction | Indicative unit price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 100% wool, dry soft hand, non-fluffy | ~USD 25–45 / pc | Small quantity around 30 pcs, EXW China |
| 55% wool / 45% cotton blend | ~USD 20–25 / pc | Small quantity around 30 pcs, EXW China |
Three details make this comparable with other factories. Insist on the trade term — EXW, FOB or CIF — because the difference between EXW and FOB alone can move a quoted price by several percent. Insist on the currency. And ask what is included: materials and trims only, or also labels, packing and inspection. Ask for the 30 / 50 / 100-piece scenarios explicitly if they are not offered.
4. Ask for the sample cost itemised, and ask what a second sample costs
"Sample cost" is a single phrase covering several different services. Ask for it broken down, and ask what happens after the first sample.
A workable structure, seen in the anonymised reply, splits the risk across two stages rather than asking for everything at once:
Confirm yarn and colour before knitting
Roughly USD 50–80, covering recommended yarn options, hand-feel samples, colour references and international shipping. This stage exists because a yarn that looks right on a card can behave differently once knitted — better to resolve that before committing to a full garment.
Build the first fitting sample
Roughly USD 250 including shipping, covering pattern adjustment, knitting programming, yarn preparation, sample knitting, a first round of fitting adjustment and finishing. Ask which of these are inside or outside the fee — grading in particular is often charged separately.
The two questions buyers forget: what is the cost of a further sample if the first needs significant revision, and is grading charged separately from the sample. Also confirm who pays import duties and customs clearance, which is not the same as shipping.
5. Ask for lead time in three parts
A single lead-time figure is usually the bulk figure, which is the least useful one at enquiry stage. Ask for the sequence:
| Stage | Indicative timing |
|---|---|
| Yarn and material preparation | ~5–10 working days |
| First prototype after materials and details are confirmed | ~5–8 working days |
| Bulk production after sample approval | ~20–30 days, depending on quantity and factory schedule |
Ask two more things around it: how full is the current development calendar, and does the timing assume a stock yarn or a custom dye? A development slot can be the real bottleneck in peak season, well before knitting capacity is.
6. Ask what stock materials and standard trims can hold the cost down
This is the question that most often reduces a first season's cost, and buyers forget to ask it. A stock yarn in a close colour can remove a dyeing minimum entirely. A standard zipper in the right finish costs a fraction of a custom pull. A woven patch can be ordered from a label supplier's stock quality rather than tooled from scratch.
Ask directly: what is available from stock today that would meet the brief without compromising it, and what would change if we accepted a stock option rather than a custom one? A factory that answers this well is telling you where the design's real cost sits.
7. Ask who owns the pattern and program — and the payment terms before you pay
Pattern and knitting-program ownership is the most frequently deferred question and the most expensive one to resolve late. The work is created specifically for your project, which makes it genuinely valuable to you and worth nothing to anyone else. Settle the expectation in writing before money moves.
Ask plainly: on payment, are the pattern and knitting program released to us, held by the factory, or transferred subject to a condition such as a minimum production quantity? A clear answer here is a strong signal about how the partnership will work.
On payment, ask for the terms for a standalone sample specifically — the anonymised example was 100% before starting, which is normal for sample work — and confirm the accepted methods. If a factory offers unusually generous credit terms on a first sample with no production history, ask why.
What a useful factory reply looks like
Judge the reply by whether it answers, not by how friendly it is:
It separates what it knows from what it cannot confirm
The reply distinguishes the garment features it can read from your brief from the details that must be developed — yarn count, fabric density, exact measurements — and says which ones need your decision.
It breaks the sample fee down and names its boundaries
Pattern work, programming, materials, making, a stated number of correction rounds, shipping. It says which items are excluded, and it states the cost of a further sample and of grading.
It states what it does in-house and what it subcontracts
A factory that names its subcontracted components — zippers, labels, special trims — and its location is giving you something you can verify. Vagueness about where a garment is actually made is a risk, not a courtesy.
A firm price with no questions asked
Without knowing yarn, colour count, size mix, gauge or trim list, a precise number is either a guess or a low anchor. Ask what assumptions it was built on.
Silence on pattern ownership and material substitution
If the reply will not say whether the paid pattern transfers to you, or reserves the right to substitute materials "for availability", the cost of that ambiguity lands on you later.
Sample fee quietly treated as a deposit
You asked for no obligation. If the reply frames the sample fee as a credit against a future order, or asks for a production deposit before the prototype is approved, the boundary you set has not been accepted.
A short pre-flight checklist
Before you send the enquiry, confirm you have included: the garment description and key construction details; the yarn direction and any acceptable alternative; the number of colourways; the first sample size and any measurements marked TBC; the quantity scenarios you want priced; and the explicit statement that this is a feasibility and quotation request, not an order. Before you reply to the quotation, confirm you have in writing: MOQ by colour and size, sample fee broken into line items, cost of a further sample, grading cost, lead times in stages, and pattern ownership.
FAQ
Common first-enquiry questions
Should I ask for MOQ before or after sending my design?
Send the design or reference first, even if it is incomplete. MOQ depends on yarn, colour count, size mix and construction, so a factory answering without that context can only guess. One paragraph plus one image is enough to get a useful answer.
Is it normal to commission a paid sample with no obligation to order?
Yes. A standalone paid prototype is a standard arrangement. It lets a factory recover pattern, programming, material and labour costs without either side committing to bulk, and it is common with first-time buyers.
How much does a custom knitwear sample cost?
Costs vary by yarn, structure and trim count, but a useful benchmark from an anonymised enquiry is roughly USD 200–300 for a first garment prototype including international shipping, plus an optional USD 50–80 for a yarn and material confirmation stage before knitting.
Who owns the pattern and knitting program I paid for?
This depends on the agreement, but the expectation should be set before payment. Ask directly whether the paid pattern and program are released to you, held by the factory, or transferred on a condition such as a minimum production quantity.
What is a reasonable MOQ for a small first knitwear run?
For custom knitwear, a common starting point is around 50 pieces per colour in a single size, or around 25 pieces per colour per size when several sizes are required. Lower quantities are sometimes possible on stock yarn, but they usually carry a per-piece premium.
How long does a knitwear sample take?
Allow roughly 5–10 working days for yarn and material preparation, then around 5–8 working days for the first prototype once materials and details are confirmed. Bulk production typically follows 20–30 days after sample approval.
Related guides in this library: how MOQ is calculated for custom knitwear, why quotes for the same sweater vary, starting development without a Tech Pack, and what a small run actually costs at 30, 50 and 100 pieces.