Darning: a beginner's guide
Weaving new threads across a hole with needle and thread alone. Socks and jumpers live on.
- A darn rebuilds missing cloth: lay parallel threads one way, anchored in sound fabric, then weave a second set at right angles, over and under.
- Knits stretch, so use yarn of similar weight and don't pull it tight.
- A darning mushroom keeps the area flat; a jar, tennis ball or the bottom of a reusable cup works too.
- Visible darning in a contrasting colour turns the repair into a feature.
- Woven darns suit small holes up to about 2 cm; patch larger holes first.
Watch
How to Darn a Sock by Hand (6:47)
By WonderFil Specialty Threads · Open on YouTube
Chosen from its title and channel: a 6-minute video from WonderFil Specialty Threads on the same topic as this guide. Embedded from YouTube with credit; we don't host it. It only loads when you press play.
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All checked 1 November 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.