The Lost Art of Darning Socks (Tutorial)
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- čas přidán 28. 08. 2024
- In this video, I am showing you a very simple method to fix holes in your socks. That process is also called darning your socks.
Supplies you'll need:
- darning needle: www.amazon.com...
- darning egg: www.amazon.com...
OR
- darning mushroom: www.amazon.com...
Thank you for watching! Go to my blog for full tutorial and other related posts at www.ourgabledh...
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#darnsocks #repairsocks #woolsocks
I will never forget how neat my mother's darned socks looked. Darning socks and doing embroidery work was something she excelled at. I'm glad to know it's not a totally lost art these days, where we are quick to throw things away and all too ready to buy new. Thanks for showing us how it's done!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment and sharing about your mother's handiwork!
You can help prevent holes by "Running The Heel". If you know where you will wear out first, it can be done anywhere: heel, back, toe, ball, or bunion spot; ideally done prior to the second or third wearing of a fine sock. It's sort of a 'pre-darn' s-grid with a tightly spun wool, cotton, or even silk thread. Once used embroidery silk in 2ply. It was commonly done in previous years to increase the durability of socks. If not done prior to sale, it was done at home.
Work is done on the reverse side it is invisible or very nearly so, and doesn't affect the 'feel' at all: the sock wool sort of squishes around the more firm threads. It serves the same purpose as carrying an extra reinforcing yarn over heels as is sometimes done with more fragile wool. Even if the hole begins to wear, those stronger stitches will help hold a structure with which to darn. You can find a video on CZcams with the Run Heels or Reinforcing Heels search. Sally Pointer has a nice short but clear video. A "run" in time...may save your expensive or handmade socks for another year or two.
That sounds great! Thank you for sharing 😊 ~ Anja
I didn't have a darning egg or mushroom, so I used my roll-on deodorant bottle, which has a domed lid...did the job just as well!
That sounds perfect, Pamela! Thank you so much for sharing 😊 ~ Anja
I bought a 'mushroom' from my local haberdashery shop in town! Made of wood, in India but was perfect for the job! Pretty cheap also! Light bulbs may be useful...but make sure you don't go too hard else it could easily break [aaggh!]
I really enjoyed this! I have never seen darning done and you showed and explained it beautifully.
Aww ... thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed this video and thank you for sweet comment 💛 ~ Anja
Thank you so much for this video! I just saved a costly pair of Connemara wool socks. This is a life-changing tutorial if ever there were any 🥰
It always makes me so happy to read comments like yours on a Saturday morning!! I am glad you enjoyed this video! Thank you 💛 ~ Anja
I know your comment is old, but it's such a coincidence that I am also here for my Irish wool socks! Can't bear to part with them, just have to learn to darn!
Darning socks…. How aawesome, I have been knitting socks for some time now. Now to mend them. Thank you. I have used a lightbulb… this is awesome. Thank you ever so much. I just subscribed as well.
I had never been taught how to darn. Nor had I seen till now someone do this. Thank you!!
Hi Linda, I am so glad you found this helpful! Thank you so much for commenting and happy darning 💛 ~ Anja
Fantastic video presentation! Your approach to teaching is fantastic, and the lesson well taught. I darned a moth-hole in a sweater from Scotland, first ever attempt... I totally lucked out, in that the yarn I had was a close to perfect match, and the sweater was purl-side out; and for an ‘egg’, I used an old wooden snack bowl in the shape of a heart, made in the Philippines, likely in the 50’s... would be really hard for anyone to tell (on back, top shoulder area of sleeve) if you didn’t know! Thank you!!!
That sounds awesome! You can be so proud of yourself for mending that Scottish sweater! Thank you so much for your sweet comment 💛 ~ Anja
My friend's new husband brought a pair of socks to her asking for them to be darned. Not knowing what actual darning was, she pointed to the socks, and said "darn those sock!" True story.
Haha, that’s funny! Thank you for sharing 😊 ~ Anja
Thanks for the video. Darning is definitely a lost art. I went to a fabric store and the lady couldn't help me at all. I'm a bachelor and completely lost. Thanks again.
Hi John, darning isn't complicated at all and you can do it! Happy darning 😊 ~ Anja
I'm a bachelor but have taught myself to darn as best as possible! Bought a 'mushroom' at my local haberdashery shop, pretty cheap, made in India, just the job! Light bulbs may be OK but don't go too hard else it could easily break![aagh!]
I learned this from my mom, too. Love darning....great video.
Hi Linda, I am so glad you found this helpful!! Happy darning and thank you so much for your sweet comment 💛 ~ Anja
a smooth stone i found works for me too
Yes, sounds great and thank you for sharing 💛~ Anja
Oh that looked so much better than I ever did. I just pinch and close. This looks like it would fit and feel better. Thank you for sharing this. I will do this next. God bless
I am so glad you found this helpful! Thank you for your sweet comment 💛 ~ Anja
I learned something cool today! Thank u beautiful soul
I've got a darning Bob that's over a hundred years old. I've always darned my socks.
That is so cool! Thank you so much for sharing 💛 ~ Anja
Thanks for great instructions! I bought a darning needle and followed instructions as faithfully as possible except for used an orange in sock. Super result and no hard bumpy patch which is how my repairs usually turn out!
Wonderful!
I just used a plastic bauble from the Xmas tree 😅
That sounds perfect 👍
À light bulb works also!
Ha! I didn't see this before submitting the same comment. That's how my dad did it.
I would think that a potato could be used as well in a pinch!
Thank you for this video. You make it look so easy. I am going to be buying these supplies and darning a bunch of socks rather than throwing them away.
Thank you! It is not difficult at all. I hope you're having fun with it and enjoy your socks!
I have found that acrylic knitting yarn works better than wool and the mend lasts longer. I also do a longitudinal repair without cross stitches and I weave my stitches in and out. Some years ago I found a package of wool dress socks at Big Lots. I found they were noticeably warmer without being bulky. The tops were also a bit loose which I liked being diabetic and having swollen legs and ankles on occasion, especially in winter. It is hard to find thread which isn't too bulky and I sometimes have to unravel one. My grandmother had a darning egg shaped somewhat like a whale with the small end used as a handle. Some one of my relatives claimed it.
Yes, that is a great tip about the acrylic yarn! And I know exactly what your grandmother's darning egg looked like! Thank you so much for sharing and for commenting 💛 ~ Anja
@@OurGabledHome I have another tip for you. If you happen to live near the shoreline of one of the Great Lakes (I'm near Ontario), the rocks on the shore are rounded and smooth and you can probably find one just the right size and shape to use as a darning egg. Collect several to test out.
@@SWAMPHUNTER644 that sounds like a great idea, thank you for sharing!
@@OurGabledHome I have another tip. A small LED flashlight inside the sock will show where a mend needs reinforcing. Any small light will do but one shaped like a light bulb from eBay also serves as a darning egg. You can also get a free egg shaped LED light at Harbor Freight. Search eBay for Tent-Lamp-Camping-Hanging-Light-LED-Portable-Hiking-Fishing-Night-Bulb
I do not know what possessed me, but I’ve always darned by knitting my way up the ripped section. I must have just made it up in my head that it was what I needed to do! This was a lovely tutorial - thank you.
Haha, thank you for sharing! I am so glad you enjoyed this tutorial 💛 ~ Anja
If you check you tube, many people weave a patch or knit a repair. And I have seen some weave the vertical lines and then 'duplicate stitch' over the vertical threads to make a patch that is basically knitted! I'm going to try them all!
Thank you for sharing this information with us. I went to an antique mall today and saw a “Darning Egg” , which I was unaware of its purpose.
Out of all the mending videos I've watched, this is the easiest, thank you so much. Now ima darn 4 pairs of socks.
Wonderful! I am so glad you found this helpful 😊 ~ Anja
Great video. Very helpful for a bachelor like me.
Thank you so much!! I am glad you find it helpful!
Thank you for this video. I have been darning without having been taught and your video was very helpful 👌
I am so glad to hear that 😊 ~ Anja
Cutest video ever. Thank you.
Haha, thank you so much 😊 ~ Anja
I found a darning egg with a handle at a resale shop and used it yesterday to darn some thin socks and it worked great. I didn't do as good a job as you did though.
Oh wow! That's absolutely fine. You'll do good the next time 😊 ~ Anja
I just ordered a mushroom from Amazon so look forward to darning my first sock, thanks to this great lesson. Thanks so much!
That's so awesome! Thanks for sharing and happy darning 💜!
@@Annox_Gamer1 have you watched the video?
@@OurGabledHome I think he wanted to send in his sock for you to fix 🤣. Well I am off to fix my sock now.
@@littlelady1969 😂👏
Thanks. Found your vid to fix a good pair of socks similar to your featured pair.
Whatever happened to this fun hobby? When I was young all the generations in my family were knitting, crocheting, mending… it seemed all the time.
Recently a visitor from Colombia stayed with us and she knitted the whole time here. It brought back memories. I’m holding a couple knitted treasures from my grandmother… waiting for my grandkids to grow into them.
Thanks again!
Hi George, I am so glad you enjoyed this video! Knitting is not only so practical but also very soothing. Thank you so much for commenting and sharing 💛 ~ Anja
Thank you for the video, I knew there was a special method, but didn't know what it was! In glad I picked your video to watch, I feel confident enough to darn a pair of knee high slipper socks now!
Yay! I am so glad you liked this video and that you get more life out of your socks 💛 ~ Anja
Thank you. Before I mend my wool socks, I have to go and make a darning egg…🌿♻️
My dog chewed my favorite wool socks and I'm going to mend them! Thank you!
Oh no! At least, you now know how to mend them 😊 ~ Anja
I buy pretty expensive socks and I am not willing to throw them out after a few months. Can't think of anything else to do with them except sew them together for a dog coat but I don't have a dog so....My grandmother darned socks but I never learned how. I kind of figured it out myself, since it is like weaving. I use a tennis ball. This video will fill in my sloppy gaps. Thank you!
Yay! I am so glad you enjoyed this video! A tennis ball works great, too! Thank you so much for your sweet comment and happy darning 💛 ~ Anja
Great video. Thanks! I'm about to try with a tennis ball, so I'm glad for the warning.
Hi Liz, I am so glad you enjoyed this video! Happy darning 💛 ~ Anja
Thank you for sharing this information, it is very helpful 😊
Thank you for sharing this skill.
Thank you so much. I'll use this technique to mend my woolly slippers. Best. Carmen.
Yay! Have fun darning (and getting more life out of your socks) 💛 ~ Anja
Just did of my work socks thank you so much.
Wonderful!
I think if you make hand knit socks this is s great skill to have I am not a quick knitter Regardless of the project small or large I like to keep things looking good for a long time This is not simply repair This technique adds detail
Hi Debra, I am so glad you enjoyed this video! I hate to throw things out that are otherwise still perfect 💛😊💛 ~ Anja
Nice job. Thankyou.
Thank you so much 😊 ~ Anja
Thank you. I love wearing lovat coloured hose when I am walking with boots. Heels seem to wear faster than the rest of the sock, so I have several pairs needing the heels repaired.
Thank you so much for your super thanks! I am glad you found this video helpful and happy darning 😊 ~ Anja
Love this darning video! Thank you so much for sharing
I am so glad you found this helpful! Thank you so much 😊 ~ Anja
Great darn it I wasnt buying more socks at 12£ so im now a Darner. Lol😂
Excellent video! Just what I needed!
Yay, Inez! So happy you enjoyed this video 💛 ~ Anja
Did I miss where you said it was important to match the thickness of the wool, more than the color?
Also, sock knitters don't usually use 100% wool for socks, because it's not as strong. The mix we use is usually 75-90% wool, & the rest is nylon
& Reinforcing before you get a hole is easier than mending a hole
Yes, and thank you so much for sharing 😊 ~ Anja
It's definitely harder with black socks and black thread/yarn !
Haha, yes but then you don't have to be so neat ...
A lightbulb works great for the thing in the sock
ny mom used light bulbs , thats all we had . good vid , thanks
Thank you! I’m off to try this now.
Now where’d I leave my darn darning egg...?
Thank you - and happy darning 😊
How cold can you be? there's flowering hibiscus growing outside your window!!! You poor thing!
All kidding aside, thanks for sharing, nice demo.
Haha, when you live in California you get cold easily ... and thanks for the nice comment!
Darning socks... something that many don't do. And, I normally only do to our winter wool socks.
Yes, this works best with thick wool socks 😊 ~ Anja
Darning socks has always been the way to go in the old days. With socks becoming more affordable and people leading busy lives, sadly socks is thrown away and easy to replace.
Thank you and yes, I agree 😊
Real wool socks, especially merino wool, are not cheap. Also if you're a knitter and make your own socks, this is an invaluable skill.
@@nadbj right? I am so glad you enjoyed this 💛
@@nadbj This is the only reason I spend any time mending them - the fact that I’ve spent hours making them (& also that makes them irreplaceable if I really love them).
I forgot to ask how long that particular repair lasted. It did seem looser than expected. But since you've clearly demonstrated the technique, I can easily stitch closer if I want to.
I think that depends on how much you walk around in your darned socks, what kind of yarn you used, and how tightly you darned the hole. In short, it should last a while 😊 ~ Anja
Thank you so much!
Thank you. You never mentioned the loose end that you began with - presumably you tuck that inside too, just like the end you cut? I’m surprised you don’t tie the ends in some way.
You can tie them. I find that they kind of felt themselves into the sock
@@OurGabledHome Thank you, yes, I noticed the same.
You need to explain in more detail the weaving process. Run tge needle over the first stitch and then under the yarn on the second until completed. Using a contrasting colour would make it easier to follow particularly when speeding the play. You have a considerate son who mastered making an attractive darning egg.
Hi Sandra, yes, the method is a very simple weave. Colored yarn would have been a good idea! You can read more about it here: ourgabledhome.com/the-lost-art-of-darning-socks-tutorial/ Thank you so much for your nice comment 😊 ~ Anja
There are other videos that vary somewhat in their approach. I usually watch a few if I want to learn to do something.
Beautiful ☺️
Thank you so much 💛 ~ Anja
I use a small jar to darn against it works well
Nice! Thanks for sharing ~ Anja
Gourds were used for darning eggs.
Well, darn. This is is a pretty darn useful skill to have. (Yes, pun intended 😆)
Love your darn comments (pun intended!!!) 💛 ~ Anja
My mom used to use a light bulb. She used to come to brownies and teach how to darn
Yes, I have heard that from several people about using a light bulb 😊 ~ Anja
Oh nevermind the volume gets perf3ct when you begin the tutorial thank u so much.
It's one of my very first videos and I hadn't dialed in all the tech yet 😌 ~ Anja
Can I darn other articles of clothing other than socks? Do you always make the repair on the outside of the garment?
Thanks!
You can darn anything you want but with sweaters for example the darned area will be more visible 😊 ~ Anja
@@OurGabledHome ok thanks! And do you always darn on the outside if the garment?
My son was rolling my boyfriends baseball around the house and I was trying to figure out what I could use to darn my wool socks from Ukraine and my boyfriend says, “what about the baseball?”
💕
Sure, a baseball will work just as well 😊 ~ Anja
I have seen socks darned and told on the CZcams channel that after worn a bit they felted together to look as if never mended. Did this happen to your socks?
Yes, if you use pure wool
How to avoid getting a bumpy mend with 2 or 3 layers of mending ? I have very sensitive feet and I will be irritated by an uneven repair. TIA🙂
With 2-3 layers it would be bumpy. I recommend using polyester for it's longevity and only using one layer ~ Anja
Cool 👌Thank you!
Nice! I am so glad you enjoyed this video 💛 ~ Anja
Your affiliate links need updating, some of these products are no longer available
Thank you for letting me know! Unfortunately, I can't always know what items amazon has in stock as that can vary. Often, items are just "currently unavailable" meaning they can come back any time. I suggest using a search to find similar items. Hope this helps!
Do you not need to tie a knot in both ends?
You can do it either way ~ Anja
Old light bulb works for darning egg
Please say why you do not do anything to secure the ends.
I find that just looping the yarn through back and forth is enough plus I am not walking on any knots. However, you can absolutely tie the ends! Hope this helps 😊 ~ Anja
No knots in either end of the yarn?
Don't usually need it
Why such large spaces? I darn a lot (husband's dry feet wear out socks) and I always use smaller spaces for maximum wear in the future.
One reason for the large spaces was that it was easier to show the process and final result. Thank you for sharing and commenting 😊 ~ Anja
Ps thank you for making the video i really need3d it
Yay! Glad you found it helpful 👍 ~ Anja
How does this not unravel since neither of the ends are tied off?
You may find this full tutorial helpful: ourgabledhome.com/the-lost-art-of-darning-socks-tutorial/😊 ~ Anja
@@OurGabledHomethanks!
can I patch using a doner sock ?
sure
I thought that was a potato 😂
LOL 🤣 ~ Anja
my grandma used a light bulb for a darning egg.
Hi Chris, yes, I have heard that a lot! Thank you so much for sharing and commenting 😊 ~ Anja
That’s exactly how my mom taught me.
Came here from Eleanor Rigby
😀
My dad darned socks and used a light bulb. So, in a pinch...
That's a great idea! Thank you so much for sharing!
❤
💜
Sloppy work!
Coleman Calgary: Right speech means asking yourself, before speaking, whether your comment will benefit yourself or others. It makes the world a better place. Give it a try. 😘
@@hammockmonk “Right Speech”?
You sound like you’re an anthroposophist
or at least a Steiner student
Keep your opinion tip yourself. You didn't have to be rude!!!!!