Knitwear modeling is disclosed. A macrostructure correponding to a three-dimensional object is generated, based on a stitch pattern and optionally a color pattern. Yarn microstructure is generated and applied to the macrostructure to yield a knitwear model. The stitch positions of the macrostructure can be perturbed to achieve stitch position irregularities. The fluffiness of the yarn microstructure can be controlled. In an alternative embodiment, a two-dimensional knitwear texture is generated, which can then be mapped to a three-dimensional object to yield a knitwear model.