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Knitting Friday - On hems

I find that sweater hems are the bane of my existence, possibly because, if done poorly, they call attention to themselves and the area the cover - the dreaded mid hip. Here are some of the things I've learned from my hem mistakes:

1. Always make the hem last. Which follows my first commandment of knitting: make the sweater a top-down knit whenever possible. However, if the top has to be made in pieces starting at the bottom, eliminate the hem directions and cast on provisionally. This way you can add the hem last, which is usually never a problem unless the hem is directional. (That fix I'll leave for another week.) The reason for rule 1? Because this way, when you botch up the hem, as I often do, it's only a few inches of tinking that's needed for the fix; not 21" of sweater.

Ribbed hem

2. Always use smaller needles/hooks on the hem. Most directions say this, but some don't and, even with those that do, the smaller needles may have to be much smaller than what's listed. For example: seed stitch on US 8 needles is thick giving a chunky appearance. Also, with a US 10 knit sweater top, the US 8 seed hem could give you the same width as the sweater for an unwanted boxy look. Look at the cotton top on the right. Cotton is always problematic since it lacks elasticity but you can see that the K1,P1 rib hem curves in from the body. It was knit tightly on 2 needle sizes down from those used in the top.

3. If you can crochet, crochet your hem. OK, that might sound like heresy to knitters but if ever crocheting shines for its versatility it's in making hems. Below left, I worked two rows of single crochet and then the crab stitch. (Note: this picture is just after washing.) What I like about adding a crocheted hem also is that it's much easier trying on the garment for fit (no pesky needles.)

A re-done hem

You can see on the right (cotton top, again) where I pulled out the hem to make it smaller. In fact, make this picture larger and you can see the dreaded underarm hole (right side) that I talked about last week.

SC & crab st hem

4. Unless the hem is a design feature, try to make the hem as inconspicuous as possible. Because unless a hem can be worked into the garment, its design can become a focal point, drawing the eye there and not to all the knitting you did in the top itself. That's why I like the "no hem" approach. This won't work in straight stockinette (see the ribbed hem pic above) because without a substantial hem, stockinette will curl. (In fact, even with a substantial hem, stockinette likes to curl.)

Crab st hem

On the right, is my typical top: 2 rows: K; 1 row: *YO, K2tog.* This one was done in a cotton with a sheen and it was the weight of chain mail as I knitted it. Finished, the top had no bottom curl so I just did a row of reverse single crochet for the hem.

5. You don't have to use the number of hem stitches as listed in the pattern. If you see that the hem is too boxy, decrease your stitches. In knitting, you can start by picking up the listed number of stitches and on the next row work in your decreases. In crocheting, you can work one row of single crochet and on the next row, work some of them together for decreases. The reason I suggest making the decreases on the second row is that decreasing on the first hem row may create its own design including spaces which are not attractive.

The dreaded curl!

6. And finally, before ripping out a hem, be sure to try on the top, look at it on, front and back, and walk and sit in it. Look at the mess on the left. This is an acyclic mill end which I fell in love with. So I made a stockinette stitch top with a crab stitch hem - surely a recipe for curling as the picture shows and against everything I know about the properties of stockinette.  But just before I pulled the hem out, I tried on the top. Now, I call it the "miracle" top because when worn, there is no curling. I looked at it front and back, I sat in it, I walked in it. No curling.

So these are my well-used tips on making garment hems. Sorry, that I only shot cotton garment pictures but I think you get the idea. And remember, almost any answer you need re: any question in knitting is only a web search away.

Happy knitting.