How to darn a hole in a jumper

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To darn a hole in a jumper, you weave new yarn across the hole: first a set of parallel stitches running one way, then a second set woven over and under them at right angles, anchored in the sound knitting around the edge. It takes 15 to 30 minutes for a small hole and lasts for years. Most darns go wrong because they're pulled too tight, which puckers the jumper, or because they stop at the edge of the hole instead of reaching the healthy fabric around it.

What to check first

• The size of the hole. Woven darning works best on holes up to about 2.5 cm (1 in) across. Bigger holes are easier to fix with a patch on the inside, or with a decorative visible mend.
• How worn the area is. Hold the jumper up to the light. Thin patches around the hole need covering too, or they'll be the next hole.
• The care label. It tells you the fibre, which helps you match the yarn. A wool jumper wants wool yarn, so the darn shrinks and stretches the same way when washed.

What you need

• Yarn close in weight to the jumper's own, or a little finer. Darning wool or a fine sock yarn suits most knitwear. Choose a matching colour to hide the repair, or a bright one to show it off.
• A blunt darning needle with an eye big enough for the yarn. A blunt tip slips between stitches instead of splitting them. A set of darning needles is inexpensive.
• Something round to stretch the hole over: a darning mushroom or egg, an orange, a jam jar or a tennis ball. Darning mushrooms make it easier.
• Small scissors.

How to darn a hole, step by step

1. Trim any loose, fluffy ends around the hole, but don't cut into the knitting. If there are loose loops (dropped stitches), catch them with a few stitches so they can't run further.
2. Turn the jumper inside out if you want the darn to be less visible, or work on the right side for a visible mend.
3. Stretch the area over your mushroom so it's smooth and flat, but not pulled out of shape. A rubber band or hair tie round the stem holds it in place.
4. Mark out the darning area. Picture a square or rectangle covering the hole and about 1 cm (⅜ in) of sound knitting on every side. Some people tack round it with a contrasting thread first.
5. Sew the first set of lines (the warp). Starting at one corner of your area, outside the hole, take small running stitches in a straight line across the sound knitting, over the hole, and into the sound knitting on the other side. Turn and come back in a line right next to the first. Keep going until the whole area is covered with close, parallel lines. Leave a small loop of slack at each turn so the darn can stretch with the knit.
6. Weave the second set of lines (the weft). Turn the work 90 degrees. Starting outside the hole again, weave the needle over one line and under the next all the way across, then back the other way, going over the lines you went under last time. Push each row gently up against the last with the needle tip so it forms a little woven square.
7. Finish off. Weave the tail of the yarn through the back of the darn or the surrounding knitting for 3 to 4 cm (about 1½ in) and trim. Don't use a knot; it can rub through.
8. Steam or press lightly following the care label, which helps the darn settle into the knitting.

Darning methods compared

Moth holes

Moth holes are usually small and scattered. Darn each one as above. Before you put the jumper away, wash it as the label allows, or put it in the freezer in a sealed bag for a few days, and store knitwear clean and dry in sealed bags or boxes. Clothes moths prefer dirty, undisturbed wool, so cleaning and checking stored jumpers regularly is the best prevention.

Worn elbows

Elbows wear thin long before they open up. Darn them while the knitting is still whole, or sew a soft suede, felt or knitted elbow patch over the top. Our guide to sewing on a patch by hand shows the stitches. Leave some give in the stitches, because elbows stretch every time you bend your arm.

Don't

• Don't pull the darn tight. It puckers the jumper and can tear the edge of the hole.
• Don't stop at the edge of the hole. Anchor every line in sound knitting.
• Don't use a sharp needle if you can help it; it splits the yarn of the jumper.
• Don't use a much thicker yarn than the jumper, or the darn will sit in a hard lump.

Common questions

What's the best yarn for darning a wool jumper?

A wool yarn of the same weight as the jumper, or slightly finer. Darning wool or a fine sock yarn works for most jumpers. Matching the fibre means the repair behaves the same way when it's washed.

Can you darn without a darning mushroom?

Yes. Anything firm and rounded works: an orange, a jam jar, a light bulb or a tennis ball. It just needs to hold the knitting flat and smooth while you weave.

How big a hole can you darn?

Woven darning works best up to about 2.5 cm (1 in) across. You can darn bigger holes, but it takes a long time and the repair is stiffer, so a patch on the inside is often easier.

Will a darn come undone in the wash?

Not if the ends are woven in rather than knotted, and the darn reaches sound knitting all round. Wash the jumper as the care label says.

Based on manufacturer instructions and established sewing practice. How we write our guides.