Now that summer is over and autumn has crept upon us, it's more than likely that you'll be digging your winter woollies out of storage. But what if you find your favourite jumper has fallen victim to the greatest enemy of all knitwear - clothes moths?!
The good news is that moth holes can be repaired. If the damage is minimal and the hole is smaller than 5 millimetres, then you can use fusible bonding web to fix the hole. If the hole is larger, you can use a darning technique to mend the fabric by interweaving with a needle and thread. Here's how to darn a hole in knit fabric, shown by video tutorial and our written guide.
Repair Holes While They're Still Small
We recommend that you repair as soon as you notice the first sign of damage, as if you leave them they'll get bigger, and bigger holes are more challenging to repair.
You will need: darning needle, yarn in a matching colour and the same thickness as the surrounding material, or a contrasting yarn, a darning support, and sewing scissors.
Clothes Doctor's new Darning Support is a true work of art; each one handmade in a British workshop by a skilled artisan. Our Darning Needle Set, with ten needles perfect for every hole, you'll have the basics to get you started on any darning project. Pair with our Brass Handled Scissors to make your fixing as pain free as possible!
Watch our video tutorial to see the step-by-step guide to darning for the first time, or follow our written guide underneath.
1. Place the darning mushroom under the hole and pull the garment over so that the hole is centred
2. Sew a few stitches in the undamaged surrounding fabric to secure the thread
3. Stitch across the hole horizontally starting and ending close to the circle of running stitches
4. Next weave a series of stitches going perpendicular, working the thread over and under your stitches
5. Continue this up and down weaving until you have created a grid that completely covers the hole
6. Make sure that you leave a long end on the thread when you are finished so that you can weave it into the repair, rather than securing it with a knot. If you would like to secure it with a knot, ensure that you do not pull on the thread or it may end up puckering
7. To finish, gently press to flatten and blend the darn.
There are a few easy steps to help prevent moths from laying their eggs on your knitwear in the first place.
Step One: Sort Out
A disorganised and cluttered wardrobe full of dirty clothes is a key factor in attracting clothes moths; hence the pile of clothes lurking at the back of the wardrobe is a haven for moths to thrive.
Step Two: Clean
In order to prevent any further or future damage to your clothing, it is important to keep all clothing and your wardrobe space clean. Vacuum and clean all areas inside your wardrobe and drawers to kill off any residual moth larvae.
Next, wash all your garments in the area affected by clothes moths. You might find that wool, cashmere and silk items are labelled as dry cleaning only, but steam cleaning has the same effect as it gets rid of the moth larvae, but without the nasty toxins of dry cleaning. Our Blue Lily and Bergamot scentedSteamer Wateris perfect for killing bacteria, and beautifully scenting your clothes.
You can also hand wash, or machine wash on a delicate setting knitwear with ourCashmere and Wool Washwhich contains very effective natural moth deterrents and stays in the fabric after drying.
Step Three: Store
When your clothes are tucked away in your wardrobe, there are a couple of easy things you can do to help protect the fabric. Firstly, hang our Natural Fragrance Bags, which freshen up your wardrobe and their natural scents also offer moth protection. Every now and again, you can also spray our Knitwear Mists directly into your wardrobe and fabrics for immediate moth repellent.
We hope you managed to bring new life to your treasured knitwear by following our darning guide. For more help with caring for your knitwear, including our complete range of natural moth repellents, and specialist wool detergent, check out the rest of our range:
