Darning needles, kits & mending supplies
11 productsfrom £4
Darning needles, a beginners darning kit, an online darning course and tools for keeping knits and socks in use for longer.Darning needles, a beginners darning kit, an online darning course and tools for keeping knits and socks in use for longer. For visible mending, pick a contrasting wool so the repair becomes part of the design, and keep a darning book to hand.
11 productsfrom £4
Socko
Pilling Comb
More in Work & Creative
Choosing darning needles
Darning needles are longer than sewing needles, with a large eye for thick wool and a blunt or bent tip that slides between stitches without splitting them. A bent tip makes it easier to weave in and out of a knit, which helps on socks and jumpers. Socko makes a set of three large eye darning needles with bent tips. Choose a needle with an eye big enough to thread your wool easily. Socko packs a small darning kit with its socks, and we checked it for how its tools are made and what they are made from.
Darning kit and online course
A darning kit brings together the needle, wool and a darning tool so you can start a repair straight away. Socko sells a beginners darning kit and a beginners darning course online, which you can follow at your own pace with your progress saved. Start with a small hole in an old sock to practise, working a grid of stitches across the gap. Pair the course with a set of needles and some leftover wool. Ten minutes on a small hole is enough to learn the basic weave, and each repair gets quicker. Knitted socks, elbows and cuffs are the easiest places to start.
Visible mending and patches
Visible mending turns a repair into a feature, with bright wool, sashiko stitches or a patch over a worn knee. Bouclé makes an embroidered iron-on patch with its interlinked hands design, which covers a small hole in minutes. Socko also stocks Darning: Repair, Make, Mend, a book on darning and repair.
Mending kit essentials
A simple mending kit is a couple of needles, a few colours of wool, a pair of small scissors and a patch or two. Socko makes a pilling comb with an FSC beech wood handle that lifts bobbles from knitwear. Comb gently in one direction on a flat surface. Wash knits inside out and dry them flat to slow down pilling. Books & Magazines has more mending books, Socks has socks worth darning, Knitwear has wool and cotton jumpers, and A beginner’s guide to sustainable fashion: What slow fashion actually means explains why repair matters.
Common questions
What is a darning needle?
A darning needle is a long needle with a large eye for wool and a blunt or bent tip. It weaves between stitches without splitting them.
How do you darn a hole in a sock?
Stitch a row of running stitches across the hole, then weave across them at right angles to make a grid. Work from the outside of the hole inwards.
What is visible mending?
Visible mending makes a repair stand out on purpose, with bright wool, patches or decorative stitches. It turns a hole into a design detail.
How do you remove bobbles from knitwear?
Lay the knit flat and comb gently in one direction with a pilling comb. Wash knits inside out and dry them flat to reduce new bobbles.