I've never darned nylon tights or stockings, but I started knitting my own socks when I was fed up with buying commercially made socks that are too finely knitted to make darning then easy. I'm wearing a pair of grey socks that are darned with maroon yarn right now... because I use the yarn that I've got. And I've got enough of the grey to do invisible darning, but also enough to knit with. The maroon is in scraps from where my dog chewed at it, so can only be used for mending. I think I'm going to get a 1mm crochet hook next time I'm in my local yarn shop. Because, I think I'd use the technique for picking up a dropped stitch in knitting to mend a ladder. You use the thread as you did here, and secure it to the bottom of the ladder, then put the crochet hook through each dropped stitch (which is what a ladder is, a column of dropped stitches caused by the stitch at the top breaking) and pull the new thread through to create a new stitch. Carry on to the top of the ladder and fasten off. I've mended a polo shirt for my son this way - it takes time and good lighting! - and I can see the mend because I know where it is. But it doesn't stand out on the back of the shirt (luckily, I matched the colour! ). The other thing I do when it's a small hole or a worn part of a sock that I'm working on before I get a hole, is to Swiss darn over the small hole or worn part. I think this would work well on stockings, as Swiss darning is stretchy, unlike weaving.
The article that mentions the mending looking like scars can be found here austinkleon.com/tag/kintsugi/ . That might explain it more/better than I did. 🙂
Interesting! I've done socks before, but only ever temporarily "saved" nylons with nail polish.
I've never darned nylon tights or stockings, but I started knitting my own socks when I was fed up with buying commercially made socks that are too finely knitted to make darning then easy. I'm wearing a pair of grey socks that are darned with maroon yarn right now... because I use the yarn that I've got. And I've got enough of the grey to do invisible darning, but also enough to knit with. The maroon is in scraps from where my dog chewed at it, so can only be used for mending.
I think I'm going to get a 1mm crochet hook next time I'm in my local yarn shop. Because, I think I'd use the technique for picking up a dropped stitch in knitting to mend a ladder.
You use the thread as you did here, and secure it to the bottom of the ladder, then put the crochet hook through each dropped stitch (which is what a ladder is, a column of dropped stitches caused by the stitch at the top breaking) and pull the new thread through to create a new stitch. Carry on to the top of the ladder and fasten off.
I've mended a polo shirt for my son this way - it takes time and good lighting! - and I can see the mend because I know where it is. But it doesn't stand out on the back of the shirt (luckily, I matched the colour! ).
The other thing I do when it's a small hole or a worn part of a sock that I'm working on before I get a hole, is to Swiss darn over the small hole or worn part. I think this would work well on stockings, as Swiss darning is stretchy, unlike weaving.
An idea for mending thread for pantyhose. My mum used to harvest thread from pantyhose waistline, so it was mended with the same thread 🙂
Oh that is so clever, thank you for sharing
Looks great! It might have been a bit easier to get a clean line on the ladder if the stocking was stretched a little over a waterbottle or something.
Thank you! I didn’t think of that, I will try that next time.
What was all the writing about how someone would mend a stocking "invisibly" given how much a mend looks like a scar?
The article that mentions the mending looking like scars can be found here austinkleon.com/tag/kintsugi/ . That might explain it more/better than I did. 🙂