January 27 – A stitch in time

So here's a thing about being a sock knitter: eventually you become a sock darner.

You might remember these socks from before. I discovered recently that they needed a bit more help...so out came the needle and yarn and darning egg again.

And then this weekend I discovered that another pair of socks was on the verge of holey-ness. These socks – I think of them as "the first of the modern era," as they're the first pair I made when I really got back into knitting again, about six years ago – were made with a super sturdy yarn (a good 25% acrylic blend does wonders for preserving lifespan) but worn spots come even to the best of socks.

A bit of weaving, a bit of Swiss darning, a bit of making-it-up-as-I-go, and these guys are ready to go back into service for at least a little while longer. It might not be super pretty, but I find it enjoyable in its own way, and I'm certainly faster at darning socks than I am at knitting them!

More on darning: Rachel's post about her visit to The Department of Repair; Tom of Holland on darning samplers and a really cool sweater repair; Kate Atherley on darning basics in Knitty; super skilful repairs to inspire you from Addison Embroidery.