Four small holes in a fine gauge merino jumper, each about 5mm. Every time I work on one it gets bigger, because the cut ends of the yarn keep pulling back as I handle the fabric. By the time I've secured one side the hole has doubled. Is there a way to stabilise the edges first, and does it need to be done before washing or after?
For matching yarn, look at the inside seam allowance or the hem. Fine gauge jumpers often have a length of the original yarn tucked in at the shoulder seam, and even 30cm of it is enough for four small holes.
Great tip. Failing that, splitting a strand from a thicker yarn in the same colour family is usually closer than buying matching weight, since exact colour matters more than exact thickness at 5mm.
Deal with the moths before the holes. If they were live, everything in that drawer needs 72 hours in a freezer in a sealed bag, or a hot wash if the garment can take it, otherwise you will be doing this again in three months on a jumper you've already mended. I lost two good sweaters learning that.
Wash before you mend, not after. Wool relaxes and shifts in the wash and a mend done on unwashed fabric can end up puckered once everything settles. Hand wash cool, roll in a towel, dry flat, then repair.
Small practical thing: work over a curved surface, a darning mushroom or the side of a jar, so the fabric is supported and you can see the loops. Trying to do fine gauge flat on your knee is how holes grow.
@darning_dee · last mo. · 3 replies
Stabilise first, always. Get the jumper flat and dry, then run a line of small running stitches in a fine matching thread in a square around each hole, about 5-6mm out from the edge, catching every loop as you go. That fence stops the knit from running while you work. Only then start the actual repair. On fine gauge merino I'd then do a duplicate stitch repair rather than a woven darn, following the path of the original stitches with a single strand of matching wool, so the mend disappears rather than sits on top.
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@darning_egg_dee · last mo.
Adding: a thin piece of water soluble stabiliser tacked behind the hole makes the fencing much easier on fine gauge, then it rinses away at the end.
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@gel_phase_gina · last mo.
The fence step is what I was missing entirely, I was going straight at the hole. Thanks, this is exactly the answer I needed.
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