I did the knotted end at first. The hemmed ends allowed me to make a neater 'gather' and also to make the edges/sides of the hammock a tad shorter than the middle. This makes it easier to keep my head from slipping over the side. Hem the ends, and once the rope is passed through, sew a 3" seam on each side to force the rope toward the hem stitch on the edges of the hammock. Make sense?
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paul, texas KD5IVP