Integrally knit lower-body garment

Abstract

Examples herein are directed to a knit lower-body garment, methods of manufacturing and/or forming the knit lower-body garment using a flat knitting process, and knit blanks used to form the knit lower-body garment. In examples, the knit lower-body garment is formed from a one-piece knit textile blank that includes partial-length knit courses in select locations and a crotch gusset to provide three-dimensional shaping to the resulting knit lower-body garment. Linking courses are used to reduce tension and reduce grinning issues between portions of the lower-body-garment that are integrally knit together. The use of different (e.g., denser) knit structures in selective regions of the knit lower-body garment is also disclosed. A knitting technique and pattern for simulating the visual effect of a conventional ottoman stitch pattern but in a different orientation is also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lower-body garment comprising:
 a knit textile comprising a front torso portion, a first back torso portion with a first back seam edge, a second back torso portion with a second back seam edge, a first leg seam edge, a second leg seam edge, and a crotch gusset, wherein the crotch gusset includes a first gusset back edge and a second gusset back edge; and   a first seam that affixes together:
 an upper part of the first back seam edge and an upper part of the second back seam edge, 
 a middle part of the first back seam edge and the first gusset back edge, 
 a middle part of the second back seam edge and the second gusset back edge, 
 a lower part of the first back seam edge and the first leg seam edge, and 
 a lower part of the second back seam edge and the second leg seam edge. 
   
     
     
         2 . The lower-body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the first seam is continuous and forms a Y-shape. 
     
     
         3 . The lower-body garment of  claim 1 , wherein, other than the first seam, the front torso portion, the first back torso portion and the second back torso portion are seamless. 
     
     
         4 . The lower-body garment of  claim 3 , wherein the knit textile comprises a plurality of short rows interspersed between a plurality of full-length knit courses. 
     
     
         5 . The lower-body garment of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of short rows comprises a first short row having a first length and a second short row having a second length, and wherein the first length is longer than the second length. 
     
     
         6 . The lower-body garment of  claim 5 , wherein the first short row and the second short row are knit next to each other. 
     
     
         7 . The lower-body garment of  claim 6 , further comprising a third short row knit next to the second short row and having a third length that is shorter than the second length. 
     
     
         8 . The lower body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the knit textile is a double jersey knit comprising a front layer and a back layer. 
     
     
         9 . The lower body garment of  claim 8 , wherein the first layer comprises a first yarn and the second layer comprises a second yarn. 
     
     
         10 . The lower body garment of  claim 9 , wherein the first yarn and the second yarn are different colors. 
     
     
         11 . The lower body garment of  claim 8 , wherein the first yarn is interknitted with the back layer and the second yarn is interknitted with the front layer. 
     
     
         12 . The lower body garment of  claim 11 , wherein the first yarn is interknitted with the back layer and the second yarn is interknitted with the front layer in the same location on the lower-body garment. 
     
     
         13 . A lower-body garment comprising:
 a knit textile comprising a left front torso portion, a right front torso portion, and a crotch gusset, the crotch gusset further comprising a central gore, a first gusset back edge, a second gusset back edge, and a set of front linking courses extending from the central gore;   wherein the set of front linking courses is integrally knit with the left front torso portion and the right front torso portion.   
     
     
         14 . The lower-body garment of  claim 13 , wherein the set of front linking courses comprises at least one course that is integrally knit with the central gore. 
     
     
         15 . The lower-body garment of  claim 14 , wherein the crotch gusset further comprises a first gore adjacent a first side of the central gore, and a second gore adjacent a second side of the central gore opposite the first side. 
     
     
         16 . The lower-body garment of  claim 15 , wherein the first gusset back edge runs along a bottom edge of the first gore and a first portion of a bottom edge of the central gore. 
     
     
         17 . The lower-body garment of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a left back torso portion integrally knit with the left front torso portion,   a right back torso portion integrally knit with the right front torso portion, and   a seam that joins the left back torso portion to the right back torso portion, the left back torso portion to the first gusset back edge, and the right back torso portion to the second gusset back edge.   
     
     
         18 . A method of forming a lower-body garment from a one-piece knit blank comprising a first back torso portion having a first back seam edge, a second back torso portion having a second back seam edge, a first front torso portion, a second front torso portion, and a crotch gusset comprising a first gusset back edge, a second gusset back edge, and a third front torso portion, the method comprising:
 affixing together at a seam:
 an upper part of the first back seam edge and an upper part of the second back seam edge to form a first part of the seam, 
 a middle part of the first back seam edge and the first gusset back edge to form a second part of the seam, and 
 a middle part of the second back seam edge and the second gusset back edge to form a third part of the seam; and 
   affixing together by integrally knitting:
 the first front torso portion and the third front torso portion, and 
 the second front torso portion and the third front torso portion. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the first front torso portion comprises a first lower leg edge,   the second front torso portion comprises a second lower leg edge, and   the step of affixing further comprises:
 affixing together with the second part of the seam a lower part of the first back seam edge with the first lower leg edge; and 
 affixing together with the third part of the seam a lower part of the second back seam edge with the second lower leg edge. 
   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the third front torso portion is integrally knit with the crotch gusset.