Does anybody 'darn' anymore?

Agapanthus

I have a darning mushroom and sometimes darn, but not socks. I think that the last thing I darned was a sofa that the mice had got at! It had a fairly rough weave and darned up very nicely.

Darning mushrooms may be a UK thing. The French seem to use a wooden egg - a little larger than a hen's egg - instead. That has the advantage that you can darn quite flat things and very curved things, depending which bit of the egg you use.

Anyone know what other countries use?

Ches

I use the side of my fist where the index finger and thumb make a circle. Keep the sock/garment taut by tucking it into your fist. I was taught this way and have never been able to get on with a mushroom.

Paulie'sGirl

I darned OH's socks this evening, first time. Not a brilliant job, I must admit, but then there's a first time for everything! I used a hankerchief to bulk it out as I don't have a mushroom or anything. I regularly mend the holes under the arms in his jumpers. Soon there'll be little to sew together!

Glad to know other OSers do the same

PGxx

[Deleted User]

I don't so much darn as have to sew up the hems of my grandsons school trousers quite a bit I think its because the thread used in manufacture is nylon and when washed in hot water (they are very grubby little lads at times) the nylon just melts .So every so often I get a pile of grey trousers to re-do the hems with cotton thread and that seems to work o.k.

My late mum used to say that school clothes were put together with a red-hot needle and a burning thread

DON79

I darn things for my two little boys - somehow they manage to get holes in their t-shirts lol! and since I recently bought them, I would rather sew up a few small holes than throw the whole t-shirt away.

although saying that one t-shirt that my DS wears - I have no idea what he did to it but it looked like he had been using it for practice on a dart board! loads of small holes only on the one side of the t-shirt and too many to sew up - hence it is now a play t-shirt for the garden lol!

charlies-aunt

I darn socks, jumpers, T-shirts etc to squeeze a bit more wear out of them before they are consigned to the duster drawer, cleaning ragbag or recycling. I always try and remove buttons, decent working zips and fasteners, trimmings or ribbons - they are only little things but a very pricey to buy new

Don't do much dressmaking but constantly doing running repairs, alterations, replacing buttons and resewing hems

Many a charity shop bargain has been restyled by swopping the original buttons with buttons from the button box, adding/removing trimmings, taking out shoulder pads, replacing zips and fasteners or covering a small hole/stain with a discreet patch

Austin_Allegro

I do darn my socks sometimes (my grandmother - born 1909 - taught me when I was little and impressionable). It's no problem on the toes but I find the heels of my socks develop huge transparent areas that are too big to darn.

I recall in Tightwad Gazette there is a patching method for socks, using an old sock for patching material, so I might try that.

Socks that are too far gone are turned into oily rags for my bicycle.

I do also turn collars and cuffs (it's a bit fiddly but very satisfying) although the nicer shirts from Jermyn St etc have pockets for stiffeners under the collar and I'm not sure how to turn this type.

I also have a mushroom thingy! It belonged to my great grandmother I think. I've got a box full of all sorts of old buttons, darning wool etc with pre-decimal prices. It's all a bit sad for a 38 year old man but who cares...fortunately my gf is from a poor country and appreciates my efforts.

antenna

I darn a lot less now that i have learned to cuss

Paulie'sGirl

I bought a darning mushroom last week for very little from Sew and Sew online.

I'm quite looking forward to more darning

PGxx

babyshoes

I don't darn, though I could probably just about remember how to if I had to. I don't think the time would be worth it for me though, most of our socks are cheap multi pack ones. We have worked out how to extend the wear though - my OH and I share socks now, as I wear out the heel, and she wears out the bottom at the front, so between us we get more wear out of each pair.

I also like having new socks, even if they are from poundland - it is one of life's little luxuries for me. There is just something rather nice about wearing a brand new pair of socks, especially if they are nicely patterned!