This paper reviews the Engineered Knitting Program (EKP), from Cotton Incorporated, US, which allows a fabric manufacturer, or user of cotton knits, to fully understand and control the cotton knit fabric, from the selection of yarn and knitting machine, through dyeing, finishing and apparel processing. It outlines the questions which this program attempts to answer, including, why cotton knit fabrics shrink to different levels when produced at different weights and widths, and understood from empirical data gathered from those fabrics. The paper details the test and demonstration results of an EKP study, evaluating different combinations of constructions, yarns, machines, and finishes. It concludes that the EKP should illustrate to the industry that they already have the information available to them to develop a program that will be specific to their actual production facilities.