Wool and Chocolate

Darning Tutorial
POSTED ON FEBRUARY 6, 2012 BY WOOLANDCHOCOLATE
50

When I set out to teach myself to darn I found a few videos on YouTube and just went for it.
What I was learning was a basic darning method in which a woven patch is formed to fill the
hole. I was a little bothered by how this looked, but I figured that it’s on the bottom of my foot, so
who cares? But, now that I have had to darn my socks multiple times, I have gotten bored with
that method and discontent with it’s resulting patched-up look. How could I make it look like
knitting? I wondered. I came up with what I thought was brilliance and thought I would write a
tutorial to show you all my really super awesome new darning technique. I decided to call it
“duplicate stitch darning”. Then I thought I had better Google that first to make sure that there
isn’t already a such thing (surely I can’t be the first one to think of this). Lo and behold! I was not
the first to think of it. Duplicate stitch darning has already been invented. Darn!

However, the way in which duplicate stitch darning, or Swiss darning, is done is actually quite
different than my little invention. The idea is the same, the result is the same, and even the name
is the same. But Swiss darning is done from the bottom of the hole up using thread guidelines,
and mine is from the top down using yarn as the guidelines.

So, I have decided to go ahead and write my little tutorial anyway. This method of darning is
more interesting to work and looks a lot nicer than a regular woven darning. Maybe you could
use it, too? Okay, enough with the intro. Let’s get this thing going…

Duplicate Stitch Darning – the WoolandChocolate Way

Assemble the ingredients

(https://woolandchocolate.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/imgp2421.jpg)

I’ve got my holey sock and matching yarn, scissors, a needle, and my darning egg.

A quick word on the darning eggs. The Man picked both of these up at an antique store for me for
Christmas. I love them. The one that looks a little like a shoe horn is a bit slippy and I haven’t actually used
it yet, but it looks fabulous in my yarn cabinet. The darning mushroom with the silver band is an excellent
tool and one that I use all the time. When I didn’t have a darning egg, I used a baby bottle. Okay, back to
the tutorial.

Position the hole over the darning mushroom and trim away all the loose bits.
(https://woolandchocolate.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/imgp2424.jpg)

Now, take a length of yarn and thread your needle. Sew a running stitch square around the
outside of the hole, about 3 stitches in from edge. This provides a good anchor for the patch.

(https://woolandchocolate.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/imgp2425.jpg)
Once you have made a square around the hole, starting from the top, begin stringing your guide
lines from side to side, one horizontal line for every knit row.

(https://woolandchocolate.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/imgp2427.jpg)

As you can see, I use the running stitch square as my guide, setting the ends of the lines 3 stitches
deep into good fabric.
(https://woolandchocolate.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/imgp2430.jpg)

Now, your yarn should be in the lower right hand corner. Weave your way to the top right corner
of the square and begin working a duplicate stitch over the existing stitches. When you get to the
hole you will use the horizontal guide lines that you sewed in earlier to complete the duplicate
stitch.

Working from the top down, take your needle under the next guide line.
(https://woolandchocolate.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/imgp2435.jpg)

Now, take your needle from right to left through the “v” of the above stitch (as if to work the
duplicate stitch).

(https://woolandchocolate.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/imgp2436.jpg)
And repeat, taking the needle under the next guide line from top to bottom.

(https://woolandchocolate.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/imgp2437.jpg)

Working in this way, stack your little “v”‘s in a nice, tidy column all the way to the bottom of the
running stitch square, about 3 stitches from the bottom of the hole. Now, weave your needle
through the guide lines to the top of the square.
(https://woolandchocolate.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/imgp2439.jpg)

And, starting at the top of the running stitch square, work your three duplicate stitches over the
good stitches and proceed to work down the column as before.

In this way, build a knitted patch across the hole.

(https://woolandchocolate.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/imgp2440.jpg)

I like to push the columns to the right once I am finished with each in order to pack them in more
tightly. Tension seems to be the trickiest part of this method. As you can see, I err on the loose
side, but I am trying to learn to make the “v”‘s more closely matching to the gauge of the knitted
sock.

When the hole is patched, weave in the ends.

(https://woolandchocolate.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/imgp2441.jpg)

And  you’re done!

(https://woolandchocolate.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/imgp2443.jpg)
Maybe I am crazy, but I really like the way that looks. I also happen to think that it is pretty hard
wearing as well.

There. I did it. My first tutorial ever…..

…. does it make any sense?

POSTED IN KNITTING | TAGGED DARNING EGG, DARNING EGGS, DARNING

MUSHROOM, DARNING SOCKS, DUPLICATE STITCH DARNING, HOLEY SOCK,
KNITTING SOCKS, SWISS DARNING, TUTORIAL, WOVEN PATCH

50 thoughts on “Darning Tutorial”

1. Kat
FEBRUARY 6, 2012 AT 5:46 PM
I love this, it looks awesome. I’ll be sure to try this when my socks get holes. Thanks for
sharing!

Reply
2. Lisa W.
FEBRUARY 6, 2012 AT 7:25 PM
excellent tutorial. I will tuck this away as an excuse to actually WEAR my knitted socks
without worrying to much.

Reply
3. Missi
FEBRUARY 7, 2012 AT 7:53 PM
First a confession: I read your blog with the interest of a knitter although I lack the skills. So I
call it “fascination”.
Second, great photos!!!!

Reply
woolandchocolate
FEBRUARY 7, 2012 AT 8:12 PM
Oh, my dear, it starts with fascination. I will turn you into an avid knitter, yet.

Shelly woolandchocolate.wordpress.com

Reply
4. julia fc
FEBRUARY 8, 2012 AT 1:24 PM
This is wonderfully done, thanks so much. I’ll try it out.

Reply
5. Ingrid
FEBRUARY 8, 2012 AT 6:31 PM
fantastic! congratulations on such an impressive first tutorial.
 Reply
6. Dusty
FEBRUARY 9, 2012 AT 7:43 PM
BRILLIANCE! This is fabulous. Well done.

Reply
7. Fiona Ballard
FEBRUARY 9, 2012 AT 8:12 PM
Awesome! Nicely done.

Reply
8. Sharyn Earl
FEBRUARY 9, 2012 AT 8:42 PM
Thank You!!! I am going to try this on my Smart Wool socks that I can’t bear to throw away.

Reply
9. dancingwoolymasters
FEBRUARY 9, 2012 AT 8:51 PM
Really a very good tutorial! I’m sharing this one while I covet your darning mushroom. What
a cool tool!

Reply
10. Eileen
FEBRUARY 9, 2012 AT 8:53 PM
This is a great tutorial. I didn’t know how to darn, now I think I can do it. Thank you.

Reply
11. Maureen
FEBRUARY 9, 2012 AT 9:01 PM
I love it, going to save it for future reference. What I really want to know is where did you get
that YUMMY yarn????
Thank you for the tut!

Reply
woolandchocolate
FEBRUARY 9, 2012 AT 9:15 PM
That yarn is scrumptious! It is Done Roving Frolicking Feet and I got it from my LYS, The
Knit Addiction. It makes wonderful socks and the color is gorgeous!

Reply
12. Renee Anne
FEBRUARY 9, 2012 AT 9:09 PM
Someday, when my socks need darning…I hope to find this tutorial again Or maybe I’ll
just bookmark it…or pin it on Pinterest…whichever.

Then again, I hope to never have to darn my socks in the first place…….

Reply
13. Micki Arriza
FEBRUARY 9, 2012 AT 9:16 PM
 It not only makes sense but after years of trying to “figure” out darning, I feel like I can do it!
Thanks Micki

Reply
14. Lynn F Kramer
FEBRUARY 9, 2012 AT 9:47 PM
Wow! I really like this method. Too bad I didn’t see this last week. Just “repaired” a Christmas
stocking; wasn’t as neat as this.

Reply
15. Vicky Myatt
FEBRUARY 9, 2012 AT 10:04 PM
What an amazingly clear tutorial! Now the search is on for a darning egg and I love the
mushroom!

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16. chaplaindonnah
FEBRUARY 9, 2012 AT 11:46 PM
Now I’m wondering if you snuck into our home yesterday?! Hubby and I were talking about
how nice it would be if I could learn to darn the hole he wore in the first (only) handmade
socks I made him a couple of years ago. Voila – there you were on Vogue Knitting’s FB page!
Thanks!

Reply
17. Christine
FEBRUARY 10, 2012 AT 12:11 AM
I happen to have a handmade sock that needs darning, and I have passively been researching
the techniques and tools, but I LOVE the clarity of your tutorial! Thank you for taking the
time to share it with us

Reply
18. Rae
FEBRUARY 10, 2012 AT 3:00 AM
This is great, thank you! I had no idea how to darn and one of my knitted socks is
dangerously thin. Much appreciated.

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19. Mandyz (@MandyzMoon)
FEBRUARY 10, 2012 AT 1:58 PM
I’m a swiss darning “expert”… just joking, but I’ve darned my fair share of socks. Actually
recently darned up a dozen socks that had been waiting (impatiently) for repair. This time
around, however, I substituted a couple of wires for the usual pre-threading method. Your
method looks good too.
However, I prefer to try and catch my “holes” before they appear and duplicate stitch over
thin spots before I have to pull out the extra thread/yarn/wire.
I also prefer not to use the original yarn since it clearly did not hold up well in that spot in the
first place and I’d prefer not to darn it again.

Reply
woolandchocolate
 FEBRUARY 10, 2012 AT 4:36 PM
If I were not such a procrastinator I would catch them before they were holes, too! But I
don’t. In fact I am so bad about it that I wear them with little holes and make the holes
bigger.

Reply
20. Christel Gies
FEBRUARY 10, 2012 AT 3:37 PM
I always have loved to darn socks , but the way you did it was so neat and different.

Reply
21. kathy kathy kathy
FEBRUARY 19, 2012 AT 6:44 PM
I have tried to do this myself. This looks like an excellent tutorial. I can already see some
places I went wrong. I really appreciate the trouble you took to make this post. I am pinning
this to my Knitting Techniques board on Pinterest. I fount it by way of Pinterest, actually.

Reply
22. cpeezers
FEBRUARY 21, 2012 AT 2:14 AM
It makes great sense. Darning has always mystified me, and I think I could follow this. I had
to pin it to my knitting board on pinterest (my new form of filing!) Thanks for sharing such a
detailed nice turorial!

Reply
23. Anna Butera
FEBRUARY 24, 2012 AT 4:12 PM
Thanks so much! I’ve got my v’s going the wrong direction (against the grain) but its great!

Reply
24. TravelingAnn
FEBRUARY 29, 2012 AT 10:55 PM
Would you say that this method takes longer or about the same to work as traditional patch
darning?
At the risk of sounding obnoxious, when I first saw your tutorial I thought, “Oh, that’s pretty
but looks tedious.” Mainly because duplicate stitch isn’t my favorite.
But as I sat there last night working a traditional darn and two passes wasn’t enough and I’ll
have to make two more passes…well, I figured I’d take another look at yours.
Also, are the columns linked to each other, or are they only anchored by the guide threads?
I have two socks to darn so the second might get your treatment!

Reply
woolandchocolate
MARCH 1, 2012 AT 1:54 AM
It probably does take longer and I guess it is a little more tedious. I consider the woven
method boring and since I am an adventurous crafter (aka please don’t give me boring
knitting) I prefer i more challenging method.