A few weeks back I wrote a post which served both to introduce a book entitled Make Do and Mend and to give a general overview of the deprivations effecting the civilian population, particularly in the UK, during the Second World War. Many people took the time to add some fascinating comments regarding this subject, I was so pleased to see that my fascination with the experiences of this time is shared by other modern-day sewers. I would like to draw your attention to a particularly dedicated and knowledgeable blogger, Susannah, who has set herself an amazing challenge she has entitled ‘Fashion on the Ration’. This is her attempt to spend one year shopping and sewing within the British wartime clothing ration imposed in 1941. I, for one, am very excited about following her progress and reading her observations throughout this challenge.
It was in this spirit that I decided to (literally) take a leaf out of the Make Do and Mend campaign and attempt to darn a hole that had appeared in one of my favourite pairs of socks. It really annoys me how quickly most thin mass-produced socks develop holes where the back of my ankle rubs against my shoe, and I was determined to get a bit more wear out of this particular pair. So, just like any self-respecting woman during WW2 already familiar with a needle and thread would have, I set about teaching myself to darn. I decided to use the techniques issued by the government and reproduced in the Make Do and Mend book (which can be seen above and below).
In true ‘making do’ style, I (in hindsight unwisely) chose to use three strands of embroidery thread to darn with. (This is because the trip to my local haberdasher without the necessary Spanish or Catalan vocab for ‘darning wool’ left me empty handed!) Well, as you can see from the image below, things started off reasonably well, but shortly after this point they swiftly went downhill! I was really hoping to be able to illustrate this post with an image of an exquisitely executed fresh piece of darning. But alas, though the sock has received a stay of execution of perhaps one or two more wears, a lasting and ultimately successful darn did not materialise!
Lessons learned:
- putting something behind the hole, other than your fingers, whilst darning is essential to achieve the correct tension (my mum has something for this that looks like a wooden mushroom).
- decent darning wool or ‘mending’ as they have called it here apparently cannot be substituted.
- darning is harder than it looks!
Of course, the type of wooly socks these instructions were probably designed for are very different from my thin modern kind, but I’m not convinced my socks cannot be salvaged! If anyone has attempted, and perhaps even mastered, the art of darning and has some advice, please let us know!
Comments
Funnily enough, I just was chatting with a friend this weekend about darning (and how I had no clue how to do it!) when we found a darning egg (wood form) at a vintage store! Thank you so much for posting these instructions. I think if one of my prized pairs of wool socks ever wears thin, I might have to give darning a try…
♥ Casey
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Darning is one of those chores my mother always said she was glad she didn’t have to do any more, right up there with mangling the laundry. I think there’s no way around it — even with the proper tools and techniques, it’s still mind-bogglingly tedious and time-consuming. Apparently the secret is to catch thin patches before they develop into actual holes. Whoops!
On the bright side, it does allow you to buy and display a mushroom:
http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=darning%20mushroom&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
I have just started darning socks this past month — my 5-year old’s beloved moomin socks started developing holes. I’ve caught all the holes as they start and so far the darns are working (and hard to see!) I use embroidery thread but I pull it apart and use just one strand. And you definitely need a darning tool — I’m trying to beg one of our old darning eggs off my mom who hasn’t used them in years! An old doorknob will work though.
Interestingly, my own vintage instructions have the 2nd layer going across, not at a diagonal — I wonder what the diagonal set does? I may have to try it.
I agree, use the single strand of embroidery floss or try crewel yarn.
the Diagonal set of the second set of stitches will help give the patch stretch.
I’ve also used crewel yarn on a thin spot by making duplicate stitch, which basically follows the knit strand across the knitting from one side to the other and then loops down to the next row and follows that row back across the thin spot. it’s an embroidery stitch for knitting and works well to add in thickness to a thin spot on knitted socks or other garments. FWIW, kitty
Oh my goodness, THANK YOU! I have been trying to get my mom to show me how to darn, but we don’t see each other very often and there’s always other family things that take priority. This little publication by Mrs. Sew-and-Sew is a gem! Thanks so much for sharing it.
A lightbulb works as a darning egg too. Not that I actually get around to darning my socks (which are replete with holes). I’ll try with embroidery thread next time, as regular sewing thread doesn’t seem to “fill in” very well. Just had a thought that the “woolly nylon” thread people use for serging rolled hems might do the trick. Anyone tried it?
You can refer to my post about darning my favorite cardigan. The video linked in the post is excellent. But most importantly, always do your darning on the wrong side of your garment, you will be pleasantly surprised when you turn it over and see the result. For my poly cardigan in the post I just used embroidery floss to fix it. I hope it helps.
You probably will want to go to a yarn shop rather than a haberdashery to get the wool. I’m pretty sure that in Spain the yarn shop will operate much like your haberdasher — you’ll go up to the counter and ask for what you need. Any thin wool in the same color as your sock will work, but some companies (Regia and Lang, for example) make small bobbins of reinforcing thread for heels and such that you can buy for a a few dollars, which is generally a bit thinner than sock yarn and would work well for your socks. Also, your socks are likely superwash, so unless you want to start handwashing them, specify washable. A yarn shop will also carry darning eggs, so go ahead and buy one — they run about $10-15 and will last for a lifetime.
As for what went wrong with your darning, you’re aiming to make a tight weave, so it will take a while and you may have to make several passes to get a good fabric. And you’re right, the egg is essential.
A really nice tutorial can be found here: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer08/FEATsum08TT.html . It also has some good advice on how to make your heels last longer in the first place; you can do this even on the tiny gauge machine knit socks, but try to find the very thin heel reinforcing wool. If you use something rough, like regular thread or cotton embroidery thread, it could actually wear out the heel faster (according to the late, great Elizabeth Zimmerman, at least… I’ve never really reinforced my heels other than using heel stitch). Anyways, good luck!
well, i was going to say most of what jessi just did! though she was way more thorough ;n) basically, use sock yarn, and make the stitches much closer together. also, i bet the reason for using diagonal stitches for the second pass on knits is that it will have more stretch this way, like fabric cut on the bias.
I’ve only darned handknit socks, and actually just posted about the process: http://www.streetsandyos.com/archives/2010/02/darning_socks.php
I’m not sure how helpful it will be to darning thin modern socks.. maybe you can try a thinner material for darning them, like wool reinforcement thread sold with sock yarn for handknitters.. that could work.
That’s a good idea actually, GREAT. I’m going to try that.
I have always mourned the fact that, although I am an accomplished sock-darner (taught by my mother, back in the 60′s), my husband refuses to wear darned socks. It’s also becoming more and more difficult, as Diana pointed out, to darn socks because the modern product is so flimsy.
Wow! Thanks everyone for your advice and links! I’m surprised there are so many people out there still with a working knowledge of darning, I am very heartened to see it!
Zoe xxx
i’m really glad to read all of these darning tips. i’ve been wanting to try it because my husband and i both have sock that are wearing thin, but i had no idea how to darn. i’m going to scour the local thrift shops for a darning mushroom because they are so cute.
i love this. i love mending things. and polishing my shoes!
Couldn’t you use the wooden eggs from Micheal’s or Joanns? I have seen darning eggs and instead of getting a vintage one or one from your mom, why not just use a wooden craft egg? Wouldn’t it do the same thing?
I have mended a special pair of socks for my son using another pair of holey socks as the patch. I placed a circular piece behind the hole and stitched it in place. It has held up fairly well. Give it a try if you have other socks to spare for patches.
BTW, I forgot to add, if the socks are hand made or thicker socks, not the thin commercial ones, you can cut out a square hole, pick up the stitches at the top and knit a patch for the hole and stitch it in on the sides. Let me know if you want directions for that. I’ve done that with a whole heel and it worked GREAT!! .
A lemon works well instead of a darning egg or mushroom too! And it smells good when you stick your needle in it!