Sew As You Go

The Sew-As-You-Go method allows the knitter to join an edge of their fabric to live stitches to create a hem or pleat. For those of you who are machine knitters, this technique should look familiar as it is often used in machine knitting to join two pieces of fabric to create a seam, pleat, cuff, or other element of garment construction.

In order to join the two pieces, you will pick up and knit the cast on edge together with the live stitches on your needle. When casting on, be sure to keep your stitches even, loose, and tidy. An overly tight or messy cast on will only cause you trouble when you are trying to pick up and knit into the edge. STEP 1 / Fold the pieces together so that the cast on edge and live stitches are touching. STEP 2 / Insert your needle into the first stitch of the round, as usual. STEP 3 / Insert your needle into the first cast on stitch of the inside hem from front to back. >STEP 4 / Wrap the working yarn around your needle and pull it through the fabric, just like picking up and knitting for a button band or collar. STEP 5 / Complete the knit stitch on the front hem.

Now your hem is joined, and you have one completed stitch on your right hand needle. Continue to work the stitches around in this manner, being sure not to skip any cast on stitches! And that’s it! This technique is a great way to avoid working a provisional cast on for a folded brim, but still gives you the extra warmth and comfort of a folded cuff. It would also be great as the cuffs on a sleeve, sweater hem, or even baby pants.