How to Darn Clothing
Darning is a technique used to repair holes in clothing instead of having to buy new clothes. Darning works best for sweaters and socks that have the type of material that can be stitched with yarn or wool. It is best done by hand since sewing machines tend to miss some stitching. Darning can take more than an hour of your time, but the end result can be very impressive and can look as though there was never a hole there.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Yarn (same color as material)
- Knitter's needle
- Ball (small to medium size)
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1
Get yarn the same color of the clothes you need to darn. Use a knitter's needle that has a big enough loop at the end to fit the yarn through.
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2
Turn the clothes inside out and place a ball where the hole is. The ball must be a little bigger than the hole. Slip it underneath the material and move it to the hole. This allows you to see where the stitching is.
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3
Place the yarn through the needle and then fit the needle under every other stitch in the sweater. It will go under one stitch and over the next. Begin the stitching one line below the hole horizontally and 1 inch away from the hole.
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4
Once you get to the hole, bring the yarn over the hole to reach the other side of the hole and continue stitching for another inch. Once you finish covering the hole, continue stitching another horizontal line or two of material until it is at least 1 inch away from the hole. Tie a knot at the end.
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5
Continue to darn vertically. When you come to the area of the hole, stitch the vertical threads through the horizontal threads by going above one line and below the next. Continue this with each horizontal line, and you will have a completed darn over the hole. Tie a knot at the end of the vertical stitching.
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6
Remove the ball. Turn the sweater right side out. Notice the darned area of the sweater. It should appear almost exactly the same as the rest of the sweater.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Do not tighten the yarn after stitching each line since it could eventually tear the material that isn't torn.
