How to get neat knitting edges
Slip the first stitch of every row purlwise with the yarn in back. That single change turns a loopy edge into a smooth chain.
Updated August 13, 2026·5 min read
Messy side edges are a tension problem at the turn, not a knitting problem. The first stitch of a row sits at the end of a long float of yarn from the turn, so it takes up slack from its neighbour and comes out big. Do that on every row and you get the loopy ladder everyone hates on their first scarf.
Three fixes, and which one you want depends on whether the edge stays exposed or gets sewn into a seam.
Slipped stitch selvedge
- 1At the start of every row, slip the first stitch purlwise — needle in as if to purl, no wrap — with the yarn held at the back.
- 2Work the rest of the row as your pattern says.
- 3Work the last stitch of every row normally, usually as a knit.
Each slipped stitch spans two rows, so the edge becomes a chain of loops, one per two rows. It's the tidiest exposed edge you can get without extra work, and it's what you want on scarves, blankets and the front bands of cardigans.
Garter selvedge
Knit the first and last stitch of every row, whatever the pattern does in between. On stockinette this gives a small bumpy border that stops the edge curling as hard and gives a clear line to sew into.
It's less pretty than a slipped chain when exposed, but it's the easier one to seam into because the bumps mark the exact stitch every time.
Plain edge for seaming
If the edge is going into a mattress-stitch seam, do nothing. Work every stitch normally and let the edge be loopy — the seam consumes one stitch from each side and the loops vanish inside it. A slipped selvedge here actually makes seaming harder, because the bars you pick up are spread over two rows instead of one.
Which to use
| Edge | Treatment | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Scarf, blanket, shawl | Slipped stitch | Stays exposed; the chain looks deliberate |
| Cardigan front band | Slipped stitch | Exposed, and the chain is easy to pick up from |
| Sweater side and sleeve | Plain | Goes into a mattress-stitch seam |
| Stockinette dishcloth | Garter | Cheap curl control, no counting |
| Anything you'll pick up stitches along | Garter | Bumps give a reliable pick-up line |
If it goes wrong
- The slipped edge has long ugly floats across it.
- The yarn was in front when you slipped. Purlwise slip, yarn in back, every time — including on purl rows, where you move the yarn back first and return it after.
- One side is neat and the other isn't.
- You're slipping the first stitch but tugging the last one. Work the final stitch at normal tension and let the edge sit.
- The edge is still loopy with the slipped selvedge.
- Tug the working yarn firmly on the second stitch of the row, not the first. Slack at the turn moves into whichever stitch you work loosest.