How-To: Darning

Darning was, with canning, one of those old fashioned techniques that intimidated me; it just sounded hard. It's only after our family evolved into a Zero Waste household and our toes started peeking through socks that I decided to give it a go. I was amazed to find out how straightforward and forgiving darning really is.  If you've never tried it, follow this simple tutorial, and you won't need to collect worn-out socks for dusting again (how many do you really need anyways?), but keep them where they belong: On your feet!

What you need: A garment with a hole, a large needle threaded with a yarn color to match your garment, and an object with a rounded side (e.g., when I repair a sock, I use a cup).

 

Place the object under the hole. 

Run horizontal stitches over the hole, making sure that they cover an extra 1/2" on all sides 

Weave rows of stitches perpendicular to the previous ones.

End your last stitch inside your garment and cut the yarn. When fixing socks, do not make a knot (comfort).

Pat yourself on the back! You've saved a piece of clothing and your budget!