What is Upside Down Knitting?
Weaving preceded knitting and woven material could be made wide so it was cut to size and shape. Knitting was limited in size by the length that knitting needles could be made in materials that were light enough to use.This was not a real problem, people aped the dressmakers and made the woolen material in the shape of the cut out parts so we all knit a front or two, a back and sleeves and sew them all together as best we can and then add the collars and trimmings. That was how we used to do it.
Even with modern yarns which do not have the stretch of wool but are so much easier to care for, knitted fabric is a flexible medium, it is not woven fabric.
Knitting uses knitting needles, made in wood, plastic or metal, all have pro's and con's. Needles come in pairs, with a point at one end and a knob at the other. they also come in sets of four (English) or five (French) needles with points at both ends, often refered to as sock needles, then there is the circular needle, a length of material with two short needle points joined by a flexible cord.
With traditional knitting the size of the garment relies on the gauge that the knitter knits too and no two knitter knit the same or knit to the same gauge. With Upside Down Knitting and especially so with a Raglan style garment the gauge of the knitter and the yarn used are so much more flexible. Will it fit, you will know for sure after six inxhes of knitting and in most cases you can fit as you knit. This is not just for one particular pattern, pattern style or knitted fabric.
Why is it Upside Down Knitting, because that is what it is, traditional knitting starts at the bottom of the garment and knits up, it starts at the cuff and it knits up, Upside Down Knitting starts at the neck or even the collar and it ends where traditional methods start.
You really have to try Upside Down Knitting.