How to Figure the Right Side of a Stretch Knit Fabric
Knitting is a centuries-old process of creating fabrics for use as clothing and household goods. It traditionally features two needles, although some projects are made using multiple double-pointed needles. Today fabric manufacturers use machines to knit their fabrics using stitches that are tinier than human hands can create. The knit stitch and purl stitch are the only two stitches used to create several different kinds of stitch patterns. The stockinette stitch pattern is what is used to create most manufactured knitted fabrics. This pattern features distinct right and wrong sides.
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Instructions
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Examine the fabric closely. Machine-knitted textiles typically use much smaller stitches than hand-knitted fabrics. You will not have to stretch out the fabric to find the right side.
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If the fabric does not feature any ribbing, look for the side where all of the stitches look like tiny V's. This is the right side of the fabric. It is meant to face outwards toward viewers. The stitches on the wrong side of the fabric looks something like a stacked pattern of tiny scallops.
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Your fabric may be ribbed, if you cannot detect a distinct right and wrong side. This means it was made using alternating knit and purl stitches to make the fabric fit the body more snugly. Typically, ribbed fabrics will feature more knitted stitches than purl stitches on the right side. Look for the side that has more V shapes than scallop shapes. This is probably the right side. If there is an even distribution of V-shaped knitted stitches and scallop-shaped purl stitches, the fabric is probably reversible and either side can be the right side.
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References
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