Great Way to Perfectly Repair Holes in Knitted Sweater, by Sunny TV on YouTube. 4 min 22 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 22 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Turn the sweater inside out and trim any loose, frayed threads around the hole with small scissors. Do not cut into the solid knit.
Slide a darning mushroom or a smooth round object under the hole so the fabric sits flat and slightly stretched.
Thread the needle with yarn matching the sweater colour and knot the end, or leave a short tail to weave in later.
Work small running stitches across the hole from one solid edge to the other, keeping the lines close and even.
Fill the whole gap with parallel stitches, going a little past the hole on each side so the repair grips sound fabric.
Turn the work and weave the needle over and under those first stitches, crossing them at right angles to build a woven patch.
Keep the new threads slightly loose so the patch can stretch with the knit. Tight threads will pucker the sweater.
Finish on the inside, tie off the yarn and weave the tail through nearby stitches. Trim the excess.
Turn the sweater right side out, press the patch gently under a damp cloth and check that it lies flat.
Tips and common mistakes
Use yarn the same colour as the sweater for a repair that disappears; bright yarn is only for showing the method.
Keep the woven threads a little slack, because a tight darn will pull and pucker the knit when worn.
Darn soon after you spot a hole, before the edges fray and the gap grows larger.
For a very small hole you can skip the cross weaving and simply close the edges with tiny stitches.
Questions
Can I fix a hole in a sweater without a darning mushroom?
Yes. A light bulb, a smooth jar or even your hand under the fabric works fine. You just need something round to hold the area flat while you stitch.
What yarn should I use for darning a jumper?
Use yarn of a similar thickness and fibre to the sweater, in the same colour. Wool on wool blends best, and cotton or acrylic yarn suits cotton and acrylic knits.
Will the darn be visible?
A neat darn in matching yarn is subtle but not invisible. On fine knits it shows less; on chunky knits the woven texture can be seen up close.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
