The "Right" Side of Knit Fabric - Part 2

Color-grown cotton jersey coming to the shop in April

Jersey! A right side and a wrong side? Many will look for the little "V" shapes, the knit stitches, as seen in the top fabric, and automatically declare it the right side. Personally, I often use the more textured side of a knit as the public side when making a garment. But maybe I'm weird.

With weft knitted fabrics (See Knit Fabric Glossary.), knit stitches can appear on one side of the fabric (with jersey) or on both sides of the fabric (with knits other than jersey). Textile designers refer to the side of a knit fabric with the most knit stitches as the "technical face". Technical face, however, doesn't necessarily mean the right side. For instance, if the fabric is a jersey (top fabric in picture above), we're using the technical face as the right side. But if a fabric is a reverse jersey (bottom fabric), we're using the "technical back" as the right side. Want to turn a jersey fabric into a reverse jersey fabric? You guessed it... flip it over! Either side is a valid right side.

In my last post The "Right" Side of Knit Fabric - Part 1, I presented six pics of fabric. Here are the first four.

Picture 1, now returned to its actual color, is a rib fabric and is the technical back of the fabric in picture 2. The fabric in picture 3, a two-color jersey, is the technical back of 4.

In Part 1 of this series I asked several questions hoping to elicit discussion. Thanks to all who responded: a Twitter reply here and there, a Google Plus convo that's veered delightfully off topic now, and Instagram responses including nice comments on my (unknown to them at the time) "green filter" fabric. (Sorry for the deception, folks.)  There were also an interesting comment on Facebook and a couple of very thoughtful (and lengthy) answers to my questions via email that were much appreciated. And thanks, Brooke, for leaving a comment in the actual comment section of the post! Since I often read or hear people asking for help determining the right side of knits, I thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's posted thoughts and comments on the topic, wherever they were left.

Several people stated in different ways that the "right" side of a knit fabric can be either side. It truly is whichever side you decide will work best for your particular project. There is no pre-determined method to figure it out, and there's no need to worry about making a mistake by using the "wrong" side. I suppose that if it's a printed knit (generally not the sweater knits I talk about here), you'd probably want the print to be on the outside. Maybe. Wouldn't it make a lovely cardigan with a print on the inside that you could flash every now and then? You think?

You may have noticed that I haven't gotten around to pictures 5 and 6 from the original post. Next time. I've got even more to say on this subject! There'll be a Part 3.

O!

The "Right" Side of Knit Fabric - Part 1

1

Pictured above is a closeup of a very ripply rib fabric. You can probably imagine it as a sweater. The fabric below is also a sweater fabric, a kind of plaid done with texture instead of color -- at least that was my intention when I designed it.

2

But here's the thing: These are two sides of the same fabric. (Click any photo in this post for a closer look.) The color in #1 has been digitally changed, so as not to give the surprise away immediately. But which side is the right side? Some people have very strong feelings about this. Others have no idea. Just how do you determine the right side of certain knit fabrics, when each side is different from the other and either could be the public side? Is there a way to determine the right side from the wrong side?

Let's take a look at some more knit fabrics.

Sometimes the determination is easy. Fabric #3 has an interesting texture with the design created in floats.

3

Most people however would recognize it as the wrong side of a two-color jersey. (Hand knitters often call this a fair isle design.) Turn it over and it looks like this.

4

But floats don't necessarily make a side the wrong side. I posted fabric #5 on this site not too long ago. The multi-color floats create a texture on the grey.

5

From the rolled over edge on the right, it's easy to see that #5 is a striped jersey.  But would you use that simpler side (on the right hand side of the pic) as the outside of your garment? Or would you use the more complex side with obvious floats featured in the main portion of the pic for the outside of your sweater?

And remember the Shawl Collar Cardi? I received comments from a couple of people, after seeing pics of the inside of the cardigan, that were perhaps actually comments on my choice of the public side in this fabric I designed. One asked if the cardigan were reversible. Another stated that she really liked the pattern on the inside. (I think she was being polite, because she really preferred the inside!)

6

So... how do you decide which side you'll use for the right side of your garment when the right side is not so obvious? Which would you choose in the examples above? Do you prefer 1 or 2? Would you ever use example 3 as the public side? What side would you use in example 5? Did I make the right decision with my cardigan? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! There's a Part 2 coming up, where I'll share more of my thoughts on this topic.

O!
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Recently Added
The "Right" Side of Knit Fabric - Part 2
The "Right" Side of Knit Fabric - Part 3

Color-Grown Cotton Knit Fabric

The colors in the cotton knit fabric above are natural. By natural I don't mean that the yarns were dyed with natural dyes. In fact, they weren't dyed at all. What I mean is that the yarn in this fabric is its natural color, the fiber grown in brown or green, and in this case, spun with a natural creamy white yarn to give them their earthy pastel colors. The colors do not fade; they actually become deeper with each washing, reaching their full color richness at around the tenth washing. Although I recall hearing of such magical fibers a while ago, it was only recently that I did the research to learn more about color-grown cotton and then to eventually locate a spinner/supplier who was producing a line of yarns that I could knit.

The person credited with successfully analyzing and breeding color cotton plants in the late 1980s is Sally Fox, an etymologist, turned cotton breeder, and textile designer too. In "The Story of the Foxfibre® Cotton", she states:

This breeding program began with seeds saved by people in the Southeastern United States that were being kept alive in the USDA cotton seed bank in the late 1970′s. Dr. Angus Hyer, USDA Agronomist, encouraged breeders to consider using them as sources of natural pest and disease resistance due to their vigor.

Nine samples of Sally's grown-in-color cotton fabric, commercially woven in the US in the 1990s
Photo: Karen Brown, used with permission

Click to read Karen Brown's fascinating article on Sally Fox and her color-grown cotton odyssey.

The cotton yarns I'm working with originate from plants grown in the Southwest US from non-GMO seed, though from a different seed stock than Fox's. As with the natural white yarn I'm using, the growers use biologically-based, integrated pest management practices. The fabric will be machine knitted locally (metropolitan NY area) -- a modest, yet innovative, line of sweater knits consisting of jerseys, a  rib stitch pattern, and a multi-color pattern. Matching rib fabrics for bands and bindings will also be available.

Will all the fabric I produce from now on originate with fibers that are grown using sustainable cotton growing practices? What about organic sheep raising practices when wool season rolls around again? I can't promise either. But I'm certainly paying close attention to my yarn sources now.

And what about the colors? The greens and browns are really amazing, but sometimes, we really need bright purple. I know that the various types of dye have a range of environmental impact. Both Organic Lifestyle and Dharma Trading have articles on the topic. I'd like to read more. Please do share any reading suggestions you may have in the comments.

My new cotton knits fabrics will be available this spring are now available in the online shop. If you'd like to be among the first to know when new fabrics are available and receive discounts on future orders, please be sure to subscribe to the newsletter.

O!