How to Add a Hem to a Knitted Garment

A knitted hem gives a garment a clean, stable bottom edge — no rolling, no ribbing, just a neat folded finish that looks tailored rather than hand-made (in the best possible way). Hems work particularly well on cardigans, jackets, structured tops, and children's clothes where you want a flat edge that holds its shape. They're also good for adding weight to the bottom of a drapey fabric that might otherwise ride up.

There are two primary methods: the folded hem (worked flat and sewn down) and the live-stitch hem (joined by knitting the fold together with the live stitches). Each has its place, and the choice depends on the construction of your garment and the look you want.

How Much Hem Allowance Do You Need?

A hem is worked as extra fabric that folds to the inside. The allowance — the extra length you work before the main garment — should be 2.5–4cm (1–1.5 inches). Less than that and the hem won't fold cleanly or stay in place. More than that and you get bulk and visible ridging on the outside.

A typical hem sequence: work 2.5–3cm in stockinette for the hem allowance, work a turning row, then begin the main garment from the turning row upward. The turning row marks where the fabric will fold.

The Turning Row

The turning row creates a clean fold line. There are several options:

Purl row (for stockinette fabric): If your main garment is worked in stockinette (knit on right side, purl on wrong side), work one row of purling on the right side instead. This reverses the fabric texture and creates a visible ridge that folds naturally outward.

Picot turning row: Alternate yo, k2tog across the row. This creates a row of eyelet holes that makes a decorative scalloped fold edge — particularly nice for children's garments and delicate items.

Simple fold on smaller needle: Some patterns use one row worked on a needle 1–2 sizes smaller to create a natural fold point without any texture change. The fabric naturally wants to fold at the tighter row.

Method 1: Folded Hem (Sewn Down)

This is the traditional approach. You knit the hem allowance, work the turning row, knit the main garment, and then sew the hem allowance up to the inside of the garment with a tapestry needle at the end.

How to work it:

Cast on your garment stitches and work the hem allowance (2.5–3cm) in stockinette, ending with a wrong-side row.

Work the turning row.

Continue with the garment body in your chosen stitch pattern.

When the garment is complete and seamed, fold the hem allowance to the inside along the turning row. The fold should be clean and sit naturally.

Thread a tapestry needle with matching yarn. Working stitch by stitch along the top edge of the hem allowance, sew the cast-on edge to the inside of the garment using a slip stitch. Pick up only one leg of each stitch from the garment fabric — this prevents the stitch from showing on the right side. Don't pull tight; you want the hem to be flexible.

The advantage of this method: you can adjust the hem position and redo it if needed — the hem isn't permanently attached until you finish sewing. The disadvantage: the sewing can show as a line of loops on the inside (though this is invisible from the outside), and if your sewing tension is inconsistent, it can cause the hem to pucker slightly.

When to use it: For most bottom-up garments where the cast-on edge is available to be sewn. For any garment where you want the option to let out the hem later (for children's clothes that need to be lengthened, for instance). For fabrics where you want a visible ridge inside at the fold, which can add a subtle structure.

Method 2: Live-Stitch Hem (Three-Needle Join)

This method joins the hem as you knit rather than sewing it at the end. It requires a provisional cast on at the beginning — a temporary cast on that holds stitches on waste yarn so you can come back to them later.

How to work it:

Use a provisional cast on (crochet provisional, long-tail provisional, or a simple waste yarn cast on). Cast on your garment stitches onto waste yarn or with a crochet hook using smooth contrasting yarn.

Work the hem allowance in stockinette.

Work the turning row.

Continue with the garment body to the point where you want to join the hem — typically after a few rows of the body, once the hem allowance folds cleanly to the inside.

Fold the hem allowance to the inside so the provisional cast on sits just behind your active needle, with one stitch from the cast on lined up behind each active stitch.

Remove the provisional cast on carefully onto a spare needle or piece of waste yarn so all the live stitches are accessible.

On the next row, knit each active stitch together with the corresponding stitch from the provisional needle (K2tog, one from each needle). You're folding the hem closed as you knit.

The advantage: the join is completely invisible from both sides and has no ridge. The hem is fully integrated into the fabric with no sewing. The disadvantage: it requires a provisional cast on (which some knitters find fiddly), and once joined it can't be undone without cutting yarn.

When to use it: For garments where you want a truly invisible, professional hem finish. For fabric that's worked top-down (where you'd pick up live stitches and work downward to make the hem). For any time you want the join to be absolutely seamless.

Why Hems Work in Stockinette, Not Ribbing

A hem works by folding flat fabric back on itself. Ribbing (alternating knit and purl columns) is elastic — it stretches and contracts. When you fold ribbing to make a hem, the folded portion fights against the top portion's tension, creating bulk and a hem that doesn't lie flat. The elastic nature of rib also means the folded portion will want to unfold.

If a garment uses ribbing for the body and you want a hem-like finish, switch from ribbing to a few rows of stockinette (or a non-elastic stitch pattern) before working the turning row and hem allowance. The stockinette hem will fold cleanly; the ribbing continues above it.

Hem for Top-Down Garments

If your garment is knitted top-down and you want a hem at the bottom, you can work it in reverse: when you reach the desired finished length, work the turning row, then continue in stockinette for the hem allowance. Bind off loosely. Fold the hem to the inside at the turning row and sew down the live edge (or use a technique that leaves the final stitches as live stitches and joins them to picked-up stitches inside, similar to the three-needle method).

Hem not lying flat? Emma can help you figure out what's happening →