How to Darn a Knit Repair Hole
A knitter’s sweater can become worn and damaged over time. Fortunately, holes can be repaired by darning and the result is nearly invisible.
To get started, first turn your sweater inside out and examine the site of the snag or hole. If it looks rippled, gently manipulate the fabric to smooth it.
Knitting Needle
The knitting needle is a tool that hand-knitters use to form loops of yarn into fabric, one stitch at a time. They come in different sizes (diameters) to accommodate a range of yarn weights and finished project gauges.
Some knitters have several pairs of needles and build their collection over time. Needle sets are a convenient way to buy multiple sizes of needles in a single package, and they often include storage cases.
There are also interchangeable circular needles that let you add or subtract lengths of cable, allowing you to create custom needles for specific projects.
The two most common needle materials are metal and bamboo/wood. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks. It can take some time to find the needle type that is right for you, so you should consider all options before making a purchase.
Darning Needle
Darning is a hand-sewing technique that’s used to repair holes in knitwear like sweaters and socks. It’s a bit tricky, but it’s really useful for extending the life of thin materials.
A darning needle is fairly big and has a hole on it that’s large enough to thread a yarn through. They come in a few sizes, and you’ll want a larger one for bigger holes, especially if your materials are thicker like a handmade sweater or comfy winter socks.
For lighter, stretchier fabrics you might want to use a ballpoint darning needle. These have a rounded/blunt point that won’t damage fibers when passing through the fabric and can be difficult for a sharps needle to snag. Otherwise, embroidery needles (including tapestry, crewel, and chenille) are excellent for mending stretchy fabrics and have an eye that’s much larger than a sharp sewing needle so you can thread them with cotton or yarn.
Yarn
A moth hole, a pulled thread or a snag in the fabric can ruin a knit garment. But a quick fix can preserve a beloved item for many more wears, and often costs less than replacement.
Examine a ripped or damaged knitted piece to see how the seams were sewn, and use this information to repair the hole as accurately as possible. If the stitching was done with mattress stitch or another invisible seaming technique, repairing the hole should be relatively straightforward.
If the damage is more widespread, you may need to felt the piece of knit to repair it. Felting involves shredding and working fibers from another piece of wool into an original piece to fill in a space. This works best on smaller holes that are not on a seam. It is best to choose yarn that is the same weight as the original. Otherwise, the mend will stand out. Alternatively, you can use a contrasting thread to graft the pieces together.
Thread
Whether it’s a social media platform, a video-sharing app or a new way to create, threads bring people together. And when those threads are damaged, they can cause serious problems—especially when it comes to business. That’s why it’s important to keep your online brand’s threads in good shape. Here are some ways to do just that.
When a thread is stripped, there are a few different ways to repair it. Drilling out the hole and tapping it with a larger tap is one option, but if that’s not possible or preferable, there are a number of epoxy thread repair compounds available. Some of these are very durable, corrosion resistant and even stronger than the original base material. The best part is that they do not require welding, plugging or the use of oversize fasteners.
To use a epoxy repair compound, first clean the damaged threaded hole to remove grease and dirt. Then roughen the hole surface with a carbide burr, grinding stone or rotary file to help the epoxy bond with the metal. Once the epoxy has cured, any oversize fasteners can be removed with locking pliers or a stud extractor.