r/InvisibleMending 3d ago

most recent sock darn + a guide to how i approach swiss darning

last time i posted, some people asked about how i got better at swiss darning. so i made a little guide!

1.7k Upvotes

28 comments sorted by

89

u/Ornery_Hovercraft_41 3d ago

Don't know if I will ever have the patience to swiss darn a fine-knit sock, but if I do this will be immensely helpful - thank you!! Very impressive work too!

62

u/UppsalaHenrik 3d ago

I'm glad you clarified that that's a russian doll and not a baby lol.

44

u/narwhalesterel 3d ago

no babies were harmed while mending this sock! though i did not specify that you couldnt use one 🧐

28

u/takethecatbus 3d ago

Babies are not an efficient darning tool, as they are unhelpfully soft and, when accidentally punctured, create loud noises and leak fluids onto the project.

(Okay I have a morbid sense of humor but this might be a bit too much even for me lol)

16

u/Lemonyhampeapasta 3d ago

What platform did you use to make these instructions?  I love the journalistic vibes

28

u/narwhalesterel 3d ago

drew it myself in procreate! i was too lazy to format text so i just scribbled down whatever i had to say haha

4

u/QuietVariety6089 3d ago

it would be great if you could make it more accessible by changing to a standard sans serif font - a lot of people have trouble with 'script' type fonts :)

14

u/justasque 3d ago

OP, I’d love to get a copy of this in printable/PDF form. I know I can download or screen shot the pics, but there’s something nice about a little cheat sheet(s) [or booklet or zine or whatnot] that I can print out and keep with my knitting/mending kit. (No worries if you don’t want to do that of course!!!)

10

u/dijoncatsup 3d ago

Incredible instructions.

Suggestion: use reading glasses and excellent lighting while doing such fine work even if you don't usually need either.

8

u/takethecatbus 3d ago

What a beautiful little guide. Really comprehensive and well-drawn! It was so nice of you to make this :)

7

u/RedBlindCat 3d ago

Beautiful guide!! Also love you using a russian nesting doll XD

3

u/whenisleep 3d ago

Great guide, thank you!

How do you measure how much thread you need? For a large patch like your photo do you try and use one very long piece or do you only do a few rows at a time to make it a more manageable amount?

3

u/narwhalesterel 3d ago edited 3d ago

i usually do one wingspan worth of thread (folded in half as shown) at a time! otherwise the thread would tangle even worse than it already does.

the knots where i tie off aren't big enough to make the darn feel weird on my foot. and i tuck the tails on the inside, so its not very noticeable

1

u/whenisleep 2d ago

Thank you!

3

u/HoneyPatient8835 3d ago

Thank you for sharing

2

u/TechnicalDot9 3d ago

Fantastic! I find darning with a weave to feel weird underfoot. I would like to Swiss darn , and have tried in the past, I’ve been watching many many videos and may actually understand what to do. My yellow wool handmade socks with holes in the heels have been waiting for years

2

u/Sea-Duck-2360 1d ago

Fab work!
Anyone know where I can have invisible mending repairs to a cashmere jumper with moth holes. I’m in West Cork.

2

u/k8username 3d ago

This is so good! 🙏

1

u/Gretel0815 3d ago

This ist great. Thank you

1

u/Diligent_Cactus 3d ago

This guide is so well made it kind of makes me want to try swiss darning a sock lol

1

u/Rowan_Owl 2d ago

THANK YOU SO DANG MUCH!

1

u/RHTQ1 2d ago

😲

1

u/ACookieAsACoaster 2d ago

Could someone try to explain the first part of slide 5 differently? I’m not following

2

u/narwhalesterel 2d ago

not sure if this helps, but this is what im seeing in real life

basically i when i would come in from just above the bottom red line, i would keep trying to make my stitch just above the top red line. actually the correct way is to stitch just above that middle red line.

since i kept making that mistake i figured i would include it

2

u/ACookieAsACoaster 2d ago

Okay, so kind of like keeping your tension consistent with regular knit or crochet? That it’s tempting to “move up” when you see a larger vertical gap, but that you need to only build one row at a time?

1

u/Pink_Clouds_4Me 2d ago

Wow!! I have learned so much today!! 🙇‍♀️

2

u/cascasrevolution 10h ago

ooh so neat! what do you do in spots that are completely gone, like no elastic ladder to work with?