Discover the Magic of Darning Thread! 

My great grandma was quite the crafter. Even though that term probably wasn't invented in her day, she enjoyed many of the crafts I love now, including crochet, embroidery, hand stitching, and even tatting.

I have a few of her needlework tools, and my favorite is a glass darning egg. It's the one in the middle—isn't it beautiful?



Darning eggs might seem like they're obsolete, but they're just as useful as they ever were. They provide a solid, smooth surface for darning holes, reinforcing seams, or grafting toe stitches of handmade socks.

Learning to darn is an important skill that'll help you prolong the life of your knitwear.

Here's a darning technique method to use on thinning areas of your knitwear, particularly applicable to socks. Better to catch the thin area before it becomes an actual hole!

Swiss Darning

Fabric that is worn but still intact can be repaired with Swiss darning.

1. Thread a tapestry needle with matching-weight yarn or darning thread.
   
   
2. Bring the needle from back to the front at the base of the V of the stitch to be covered. Insert the needle from right to left under both legs of the stitch in the row above.
   
   
3. Insert the needle through the base of the V again and bring it through the base of the V of the next stitch to be covered.

This technique works like a charm and is worth mastering.

To avoid thinning areas in your socks altogether, use darning thread when knitting. Add it to the heels and toes of your socks simply by carrying it with your working yarn when you knit these areas. If you notice your socks thinning in other areas, just add the darning thread there, too!

We carry lots of colors of Regia Darning and Reinforcement Thread, which provides just the right amount of strength without adding bulk.

So many colors of darning thread to choose from!

I hope this little lesson helps you lengthen the life of your beautiful handknits!

Cheers,

Kathleen