How to fix the holes in your sweater
On Mending Knitwear & Fixing the Holes in your Sweater
A bit about knits:
Understanding even just some basics about fabric structure make it much easier to find the right repair professionals or DIY repair instructions to solve your problem.
Most fabrics fall into two categories: wovens and knits. Two sets of yarn are interlaced to create woven fabrics (left), while one strand of yarn is interlooped to form knit fabrics (right). Woven fabric is typically used to make button-down shirts and jeans, while T-shirts are usually made of knit fabric. If you look really closely at your T-shirt (or sweater, or hoodie) you can see tiny columns of loops. Sweaters, of course, are also knits.
Due to their looped structure, knits are generally stretchy, and are also prone to unraveling. But the holes in your sweater can be fixed relatively easily, whether you opt to get them professionally repaired or do it yourself.
The two most popular ways to mend knitwear are
Darning (woven)
‘invisible mending’ aka Swiss Darning
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In either case, you can choose to use an exact or close yarn match to achieve an invisible or in the case of woven darning, an unobtrusive, repair. OR, you can take a visible / decorative mending approach and use color, shape, and technique to treat your repairs as new design element to your garment.
Looking for a professional to mend your knits?
US-based
Old Flame Mending - knitwear / sweater hole repair & darning
FXRY - knitwear / sweater hole & rip repair, de-pilling
Non-US
These are some that I’m aware of - pls send me more & I’ll add to the list!
The Seam (UK) - knitwear / sweater hole repair (visible & invisible), de-pilling
SOJO (UK) - knitwear / sweater hole & rip repair (visible & invisible), de-pilling
Alexandra Brinck (UK) - specializes in invisible repair for knitwear / sweater holes
Want to learn how to mend knitwear yourself?
Classes / Workshops & Meetups
Nothing beats hands-on instruction - most of these skills ultimately take repetition to get good, and having a person available to watch & correct your form speeds things up considerably.
I’ve also found that the act of committing to a class and therefore dedicating specific time to mending is the ONLY way I’ve managed to make a dent in my repair pile.
Most mending classes I’ve come across are focused on general purpose darning (works for knits, thin wovens), sock darning, and denim repair (patching, sashiko). I’m focusing on darning & sock darning here, and will do a separate post in the future about denim!
Where to go in NYC
General / outside of NYC & Virtual
These are some that I’m aware of - pls send me more & I’ll add to the list!
Be sure to check your local libraries, arts & craft centers too!
Books & Guides
I personally have this book - it’s really great and detailed; it’s also specifically focused on knitwear.
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Tools
tapestry needle
yarn and / or embroidery thread
darning egg / darning mushroom
speedweve / darning loom