Real Knitted Ugly Christmas Sweaters: How to Tell Knitted From Printed
Almost every ugly Christmas sweater sold online is printed. The reindeer, the snowflakes and the bands are ink on the surface of a finished garment, which is why they photograph beautifully and feel like nothing at all.
Ours are knitted. The reindeer is made of yarn. You can turn the sweater inside out and see the pattern from the back, because there is no back to it, only the other side of the same stitches.
This page is the Owl’s, because the Owl runs our knitwear and has strong feelings about the distinction.
The difference, in one paragraph
On a printed sweater the design sits on top of the fabric. Hold it to the light and the pattern does not change, because it is a picture of knitting. On a knitted sweater the design is the fabric. Every colour change is a different yarn carried across the row, so the pattern has thickness, the reverse side shows the same motif in mirror, and the surface catches light in ridges rather than lying flat.
Both make perfectly good Christmas sweaters. They are simply not the same object, and they are not the same price.
How to tell before you buy
You are shopping from photographs, so here is what to look for.
Look at the cuffs and the hem
A knitted sweater has ribbing that is part of the garment, usually in a solid colour, and the pattern stops cleanly where the rib begins. A printed one often runs the pattern straight over the cuff, because the print does not know the rib is there.
Look at the shoulders and the side seams
On a knitted garment the bands line up across the seam, because the pieces were charted to match. On an all-over print the pattern flows over the seam without interruption, which is a different look and a clue in itself.
Look at the price and the lead time
Knitting to order takes weeks. Printing takes days. A sweater that ships tomorrow for $29 is printed, and there is nothing wrong with that, but it is not the same thing as a knitted one.
Read what the listing says, closely
“Knitted look”, “knit print”, “sweater-style print” and “faux knit” all mean printed. The word to look for is knitted, on its own, with a yarn count or a fibre content next to it.
What we knit
Ten designs, all charted from traditional Nordic knitwear rather than drawn from scratch: Setesdal, Selbu Stars, Selbu Bird, Icelandic Yoke, Icelandic Sheep, Fair Isle Allover, Reindeer Classic, Moose Shetland, Dala Horse and Christmas Sampler.
Each one is charted on a proper grid before anything is knitted, two colours per row, with the bands sized so the repeat comes out even and meets itself at the side seam. The Owl checks this. The Owl checks it more than once.
The forms, and what they cost
The crew is $149, the vest is $119 and the dog sweater is $75. Sizes run 3XS to 3XL on the human garments and 2XS to 2XL on the dog, at one flat price at every size. We raise the base price rather than charge more for a larger body.
Matching sets are priced as a pair: $199 for you and the dog, $279 for two people in the same design.
Browse them all in the knitted collection, or the vests and pet sweaters on their own.
Why the knits close on November 15
This is the part people miss, so it gets its own heading.
Knitted orders close on November 15 for Christmas delivery. Nothing is held in stock. Each sweater is knitted after you order it, which takes weeks rather than days, and then it has to travel. November 15 is the last date that reliably clears both.
Our printed range runs far later, to December 11 with standard shipping in the USA and December 16 with express. So if it is late November and you want something knitted, the honest answer is that you want next year, and the useful answer is an all-over-print sweatshirt at $79.99 instead.
Every date is on the shipping and cut-off page.
Wearing and washing a knitted one
Wash it cold on a gentle cycle or by hand, reshape it flat and let it dry flat. Do not hang it wet; the weight of the water pulls the shoulders out. Do not tumble dry it at all.
Sizing runs true in a relaxed fit. Size up if you plan to layer, which most people do with the vest. The sizing and fit guide has the measurements.
FAQ
Are your sweaters knitted or printed?
Both, in two separate lines. The knitted range is ten traditional designs at $75 to $149, knitted to order. The printed range is the all-over-print sweatshirts at $79.99 and the badge tees at $27.99. Every product page says which it is.
How can I tell a knitted sweater from a printed one online?
Check the cuffs and hem for real ribbing that interrupts the pattern, check whether the bands line up across the side seam, and read the listing for the word knitted on its own. “Knitted look”, “knit print” and “faux knit” all mean printed.
Why are knitted Christmas sweaters more expensive?
Because the pattern is made rather than applied. A knitted sweater is constructed colour by colour on a machine that carries several yarns at once, and it is made after you order it. Ours are $149 for the crew against $79.99 for the printed sweatshirt.
When is the last day to order a knitted sweater for Christmas?
November 15. After that the printed range is the realistic option, and it runs to December 11 in the USA with standard shipping.
Do you make knitted sweaters for children?
No. The knitted range does not go below young-teenager sizing. Children are printed tees from $21.99 and printed sweatshirts.
Can my dog have a matching knitted sweater?
On every design in the range. The dog sweater is $75 on its own, or $199 as a set with the matching human crew.
The Festive Folks’ Verdict
Buy printed if you want it next week, want it loud, and want it under $80. Buy knitted if you want the thing itself, and order it before November 15.
The Owl would like one more line, and has earned it: the pattern on a knitted sweater is not a picture of knitting. It is knitting.
