Granny-style frugal skill: darning

[FrugalInTraining]

Since I just can't ignore the cold weather anymore, I just spent an hour or so repairing and refreshing a few good-quality (cashmere), but worn, cardigan sweaters.

In addition to using my trusty sweater stone and lint brush, I actually repaired multiple holes in each sweater by DARNING!  The sweater stone and lint brush took care of a bunch of pills and fuzzies, and the darning makes it possible for me to cross sweaters off my "to buy" list for winter clothing.

One sweater I bought on clearance around ten years ago for less than 50 dollars, and the other is around 2-3 years old and perhaps cost 60 bucks during a J.Crew sale. 

Not bad on a cost-per-wear basis, but I also found a cashmere sweater at the salvation army this summer for maybe 12 bucks. . . I plan to darn any holes in that sweater as they appear, so hopefully I'll be getting even better value for that purchase!

Darning actually doesn't require much sewing skill.  There are youtube tutorials, and all you really need to do is thread a needle.  However, I did find that my reading glasses barely cut it, and I needed to sit directly under the lamp - colors other than black would be much easier to mend. 

[abhe8]

interesting! so how well does yarn hold up on the heel of a sock?

[FrugalInTraining]

interesting! so how well does yarn hold up on the heel of a sock?

Pretty well! Sock yarn is sold in 50 gram skeins, and it only takes 45 grams for me to make a sock in my size. So I save those little five gram galls and chuck them in a big glass jar in the living room (which also looks nice). Then when a sock wears out, I fish the relevant ball out and repair the socks. I find my socks hold up well and the mends done in the same yarn are both nearly invisible and very sturdy. This is the yarn I use for all my socks, and I know there are sturdier yarns are the market, but they are less soft.

http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Felici_Fingering_Self_Striping_Sock_Yarn__D5420165.html

Do you have a favorite pattern?  I fell out of the knitting habit, but I think I have the needles for socks.

How long do you find the socks last with mending?  My sock collection is rapidly depleting due to holes in purchased socks - they seem to last about 2 years, and I can't repair the fine gauge knit.

Would you say self-knitted socks are frugal?  Or just a really nice way to use the product of a hobby?

[Pistacheo]

I need to start with the basics here. :) What kinds of socks can be darned with comfortable results? Most of ours are a knitwear-like material rather than woolens. The socks I'd most like to extend the wear of are a very thin, moisture and heat wicking synthetic for hiking boots.* Can that kind of thin, knit material be darned without puckering and getting lumpy?

*Reading my  post after it loaded made me laugh.  If you ever need a 30 second reality check about whether you're spending too much on something, seeing that you need a phrase to describe it rather than a simple word like "socks" is a good clue! But given the swamp-feet in question, it's a worthwhile expense.

[cats]

I also darn my socks, which are mostly either handknit or smartwool.  Nothing super thin.  The darning definitely extends the life of the sock significantly.

Next up, I need to teach my brother to darn so that he can deal with his holey sweaters himself :)

[SpinGeek]

I have to give some credit to Regia sock yarn for durability. It's a little pricier ($12-15 per pair if you don't catch a sale), but I've had some pairs for over ten years. Knit firmly (2.25 mm needles), use the heel stitch instead of plain stockinette heels, and keep them out of the dryer. If you have friends in Germany, maybe you could arrange a swap; I believe it's much cheaper there than in the States.

I ordered a very inexpensive old darning egg from Ebay for fixing holes and grafting toes, but anything rounded that will fit in the sock will work. I've heard of using old light bulbs, but I've never been brave enough to try it.