Sweater Repair
I'm not going to go full tutorial here, but the process is pretty simple so I'll just describe the larger picture, then you can watch a tutorial, then you can try it and it'll come out kind of weird (but with cool parts), then you will see what the problem is, then you'll just have this skill to use as you see fit.
OK This is very basic but the idea is: First you sew big stiches up and down across the hole, that's pogo. Then you sew big stiches side to side across the hole, crabwise, weaving the crabwise stiches in and out of the pogo stiches. Then you tie a knot (or don't) and call it a day, that's it.
Enlarged to show texture. Finished project should look more like this:
But it's not going to look that perfect, no way.
If you're at all successful then you should have a tiny patch that's pretty well integrated with the original garment, which is what we were trying to do. You can match the thread to your garment so the patch blends in, or use a different color, or, as in the diagram above, use two different colors for kind of a ska look. If you're able to match the color somewhat, then it's possible that the patch will look better from the other side of the fabric-- it might be nearly imperceptible. I wouldn't bet on it, but be aware of that possibility and adapt your strategy as you see fit.
Again, you'll probably want to look up a tutorial on this. They might try and upsell you on specialized goods like a special needle or a wooden egg, but I just used a regular needle and a small wooden bowl. The thing to be careful of is to not pull the threads too tight. If you do pull them too tight your sweater will gather in an unsightly pucker. You want your thread tension it in the goldilocks zone of present but mellow. I'm sorry but I think this is one of those finesse points you'll just have to screw up to understand, then you'll understand it immediately.
I put off learning how to do this for years, because I thought it was hard. It isn't, that's the main reason why I'm writing. It isn't hard to do and it looks cool and your sweater doesn't have a hole in it anymore. Or in my case dozens of holes. From where a worm ate it.
OK, some pics. First I did a hat, because it just turned indoor hat season in the northeast corner, and my nice wool hat had taken worm damage over the years. Previous to this mending moment, the main question about the hat was "does this hat have too many holes to be effective?" and the answer was no. But then the answer drifted into a maybe, and the new question on the table was "what am I gonna do, throw the hat away?". This "hovering over trash" moment can be a really opportune time for someone like myself with interest in the subject but low skills-- I mean if I fuck it up who cares, I was on the verge of throwing it out anyway. But guess what, I didn't fuck it up, I did a great job. I mean it looks like pure scar tissue but I'm into it. I did a great job.
With this success under my belt I got to work on a cashmere sweater that I like, seen here in a file photo from October 2019:
confirmation on my sauce theory from Ashling:
The sweater is a much finer weave than the hat, and the holes are smaller and more plentiful. I decided to use embroidery thread instead of yarn, and since color matching was impossible with what I had on hand, I decided to go with a funfetti look. Flowers growing through dry grass.
I got the embroidery thread at the string store, there were a few multicolor clumps laying around in 3 feet lengths and when I tried to buy them the guy just said take them.
Going multi color is a little fanciful but I felt it was the best way to draw the attention away from the fact that the sweater was severely snacked upon by multiple worms over several years. I mean even if I matched the thread exact you'd still see that there were a lot of repairs, and this way you're just like "nice colors". Hidden in plain sight. It's also practical, because lets face it this sweater's going to get more holes in it, and this way I don't have to worry about maintaining a supply of perfectly matched thread, any 90s pastel will suffice. Also it looks great. :)
If you never fixed up your own clothes before, it might feel a little silly at first, taking all that time to repair your clothes when you could just wear other clothes or get a replacement (or get someone else to fix it). But it feels good to put time into nice things, and to treat a small rupture as an opportunity for growth. I was listening to an audio book, sitting on my couch, other problems were marinating peacefully in my background mind, and the sweater looks great. It gives me a positive feeling to wear it-- not just comfort or warmth but a sort of liveliness, a presence. I think maybe this kind of psychic charge is what people seek in expensive things? I hope so.
Anyway, if you have items that need to be darned, as all woolfans eventually do, or if you find a nice sweater but there's a few holes in it, I recommend going for it. Feel free to send pics!
links / misc
- lawmakers are trying to add dangerous changes to copyright law to a last-minute, must-pass government spending bill. This could make it a felony offence to stream a copyrighted work. read up more / sign a petition here: [link]
- the RISD Museum had a great show up last year about mending clothes, and there's a fair amount of pieces online displaying decorative and functional mending from a variety of places worldwide since the 1800s. [link]
- my long time pen pal Leonard Richardson has a new book out, it just came out on Monday, it's his second sci fi novel, and it's called SITUATION NORMAL. It's a space opera, and to save you the aggravation of searching, yes I make a cameo.
I love making cameos!!!! I'm honored to be considered as a city-sized council-run spaceship that specializes in making furniture. Thank you Leonard for seeing me in this role!! You can read a longer excerpt here: [link] and order here: [link]. You can also get a DRM-free ebook direct from the publisher here: [link].
- Perfect new project from Carlos Gonzalez / Russian Tsarcasm, it's called ONE WAY CALL and for $10 he'll call you on a random night between 1am and 4am and deliver a rambling monologue while you drift back to sleep. There's more info on his tumblr (!) which is the only way to regularly get Tsarlag-related news. [link] "The candle continues to quaver and glow, even at this late hour."
- I know I've linked to this before but the all time "hidden in plain sight" sewing riff is this essay on Duchamp by Rhonda Roland Shearer and Stephen Jay Gould, from the online Duchamp journal "tout-fait": [link]. Wow, this website looks great and maintains the Tom Tenet whereby old sections of the website should feel "like an old subways stop with old signage". To see the modern look go in through the front: [link]. Tom's Tenets are here: [link]
If you got here through a link, click here to go outside and come back in: [outside]
Archives of previous posts is here, in the coat room: [coatroom] To sign up to get these posts in your email for free, click here: [substack]
To write me a nice message, use the contacts page: [link]
To leave a little donation to help in the maintance of this castle, OR to simply hear the sound of a large bell, which is good luck, visit the temple area: [link]
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