Inside out knits - YouLookFab Forum

Sorry if this has been covered already, I dug around a bit and couldn't find any posts.

Personally, I think they're a bit weird (but I like weird things, so there is that LOL). They're also problematic, in that they tend to snag quickly. As someone who crochets, I mostly just don't get why one would do all that work to knit a colorful pattern into something, but these are almost certainly machine knit.

However, this one (a lighter weight hooded sweater) just sort of spoke to me while I was wandering Bass Pro shop clothing department (scratching my head at pink silk camo lingerie) as DH wandered around their bow&arrow department or something last year, and I bought it. Of course, it has snags all through it, and I've since debated removing all tags and wearing it inside out. That would, of course, leave the seams inside out, but I DO like weird LOL

#1 is the shoulder area.
#2 is the cuff, folded back so the inside shows
#3 same cuff, right side out

So, I'm curious, what say you good people about the inside out knits?

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9 years ago

jacquez

Active Member

That would snag terribly!

Personally, I like the look of seams on the outside -- I have had a few cardigans like that and will probably make myself another one sometime. But the ones I've had were all hand-knit and so in fully knit pieces; a lot of commercial pieces are cut from a sheet of knitting so don't have the same finish on the seaming. I don't know how I'd like that myself.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I haven't seen these. What a waste of all that work! I kind of like the seams of sweaters done on the outside, but not this.

Alexandra

(website)

I don't know why manufacturers do it. I wonder if started out as a mistake. I'd be tempted to take it apart at the seams and sew it back together correctly. Stranded knitting has a definite right and wrong side, and putting it the wrong side out not only makes the person look clueless, but also subjects the garment to much more stress than it was designed to withstand.

cindysmith

Jacquez, some days I wish my left hand weren't too damaged to learn to knit (car wreck in the 90s--it's all there, it just doesn't work so well anymore). I see so many awesome sweater patterns out there that I'd love to try. I still don't understand who thought inside out knits was a good idea, but they might need to get schooled on how knitters and crocheters feel about it LOL

Chewy, yeah, it spoke to me in the beginning, but the finicky nature of it is quickly becoming a PITA. It's definitely weird, and I've been seeing it on hats and sweaters for about a year now. You're lucky it seems to have missed you!

Alexandra, if I could sew, that's probably what I'd do. It has definitely been a finicky garment, and as much I part of me likes the weirdness of it, it's really more trouble than it's worth some days. You also bring uo a good question: was it originally a mistake, and some upper manager said 'lets see if people will actually buy them, maybe it won't be a total waste of money"...

Anonymous

Oddball here, I enjoy it for variety.

Diana

Funny, I was just peering at photos of this Lucky sweater (find below) to see whether or not it was inside out. It's kind of an interesting look and as a knitter I appreciate a good back side (lol) but I agree it would not be very durable and would snag a lot.

However, there is actually a traditional Estonian technique called roositud which is created by overlaying long strands of yarn while you are knitting and gives a similar look.
http://www.interweave.com/arti.....e-pattern/

The photos are of some mittens that I knit using this technique!

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Macy's

Patterned Side-Zip Sweater

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jlpp, it's definitely different, and I do like weird. It's just that it has turned out to be impractical as can be in many ways

Diana, I love that technique! I'm going to have to look around and see if I can find someone who has come up with a tutorial for how to do something like that with crochet!

I think you should be able to do it with crochet. It's basically an unworked strand or two of contrasting yarn that you move from front to back depending on where you want the inlay to appear, if that makes any sense.

Diana, thank you! I'm definitely going to have to try it, it's so COOL!

JAileen

I always get to church early and knit while the choir rehearses. Last Sunday one member came over wearing a sweater like this and it had several snags. She wondered if I could fix it. I did, but I didn't think much of the technique - so impractical!

Cee

I'm more for practicality, so it's a no from me.

JAileen, as much as I like the look of this particular rendition of the technique, yeah, it's starting to get a bit weird even for me, and that's saying a lot!

Cee, yeah, it isn't very practical. At least with all my shredded sweaters, snags kind of blend in. This one, not so much.

Chris987

I'm in the "too impractical" camp. I also think it would bother me to look at it because it looks like the wrong side is on the outside.

Cynthia, I get the frustration of something turning out to be totally impractical. It's maddening for sure!

Emily K

I like Diana's Lucky Brand sweater example--kinda looks like space dye. And it looks intentional. I'd not seen this technique before, but I'd avoid it due to the snagging factor.

Chris, I like weird stuff, so the "inside is on the outside thing" was kinda cool, hypothetically. In reality, it's so not practical, ugh

Emily, yep, the snags are just gross. It's not like a shredded looking sweater that gets a snag, at least that blends in LOL

binkle

I'm with Alexandra on this one - I'd guess its either a manufacturing mistake that they're trying to salvage, or, since it seems to be popping up elsewhere, someone's figured out they can save a few cents per item by making garments this way, yet charge us the same or more for a "trend"??

Though i like inside out stuff too, especially sweats.

Anyway, since you mentioned camo, there are camo formals and wedding gowns! http://camoformal.com/wedding/bridal-gowns.html

I'm not a fan. It looks inside out, and it will snag more easily.

binkle, I am dying over those camo formal things. Ded. D. E. D. Ded. Thank you!

BC, yes, it definitely snags

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