How to Darn a Sock

This is a perfectly good sock.

Except when I zoom in, you’ll see that there’s a small hole in the toe.

And every time I put it on, my toe works it’s way out of that hole and that is really uncomfortable.

It was a simple fix though.

First, I gathered my materials.

Cotton thread, needle, scissors and light bulb.   Yes, a light bulb.  It’s what my grandmother used and it’s what I use.

Next, I put the light bulb inside the sock, like this.

I started by weaving the needle in and out all the way across to close the hole.

I made sure to catch the little knit loops so that the hole wouldn’t continue to unravel after darning.  Then I wove in and out in the crosswise direction until there was no hole left.  Then I tied a knot, wove the thread in for a few stitches and then cut the thread.

There… almost as good as new.

For a larger hole in wool socks, the process is basically the same, it just takes a bit more work and weaving.  Here’s a great video showing how to darn a wool sock and it will also give you a better view of weaving process:

This technique can also be used to repair small holes in clothing.  Larger holes will require patching and that’s something I’ll be doing a post on in the near future.