In the first of our series on mending we look at how to use duplicate stitch to repair worn areas of knitted garments.
What is Duplicate Stitch?
Duplicate stitch is simply covering existing stitches with an additional thread. In repair it is used to strengthen any worn or frayed stitches before a hole forms (especially on elbows or the heels of socks) or to cover stains or marks on knitted fabric. As well as mending, it can also be used to embellish garments and it’s a great way to weave in ends securely.
What You Need
In order to duplicate stitch, the minimum you will need is a tapestry or wool needle and some thread (either matching or contrasting) in a similar weight to the yarn used in whatever you’re stitching on to. You will also need scissors to trim the ends of your thread, and it might be helpful to have a darning mushroom or egg, or an embroidery hoop to stretch the fabric over while you work.
Method
Step 1: Thread your needle and bring it up through the knitted fabric at the base of a stitch, wherever you want your duplicate stitching to start.
Step 2: From the front of the work, take the thread under both legs of the stitch above the one you came out at the base of.
Step 3: Insert the needle back into the base of the stitch, where it came out in step 1.
Step 4: Repeat for the next stitch, either to the right or the left of the first one.
Step 5: Work duplicate stitch back and forth in rows until your duplicate stitch patch is the required size. When you come to the end of a row, simply work the stitch above it to continue.
Step 6: When you are finished, weave in and snip the ends at the back of the fabric.
Shop Mending Tools
Yarn Food’s Cotton Wash is expertly designed for yarn crafters to clean, nourish and preserve cotton and plant-based fibres and their blends naturally.
Lock in the love that you put into your handmades by giving them the care and nourishment they crave. Cotton milk to has been added to this natural no-rinse soak formula to feed moisture back into your cotton and plant fibre garments made from linen, bamboo, hemp or other plant-based fibres.
Make your precious pieces stay soft, in shape and last longer.
Yarn Food’s Sock Wash is expertly designed for knitters to effectively clean, nourish and preserve hand-knit socks so that they last you longer.
In addition to the gentle no-rinse formula, it contains added antimicrobial tea tree oil as a natural antidote to bacteria, fungi and odour, while lanolin feeds moisture back into the fibres. This way your socks will stay fresh, fluffy and in shape for longer.
Yarn Food’s Wool Wash detergent is expertly designed for yarn crafters to clean, nourish and preserve wool and animal fibre yarns and their blends naturally.
The natural no-rinse formula contains lanolin to feed moisture back into your woollies and is also suitable for animal fibre garments made from merino, cashmere, mohair, alpaca, angora, camel or other animal-based yarn fibres.
Make your precious pieces stay soft, in shape and last longer.
6 sharp short darning needles n°1/0 in a Laine Saint-Pierre booklet. The needles are threaded onto black ribbon and stapled to the card.
Steel needles, made in France. Sharp points.
Size of the needles: length 60mm, diameter 0.27mm.
Size of booklet: 9cm x 4cm.
A traditional beech wood darning egg, made in France. Presented in a small transparent sachet with Sajou header.
Useful for darning holes in socks or jumpers. The egg holds the hole tight enough for an easy repair job.
Measures approximately 7cm high.
An essential darning kit from Merchant & Mills. contains everything you need for those darning jobs, all in one handsome box.
The perfect gift for yourself or someone you really love.
Contains: wooden darning egg, wide bow scissors, needle threader, selection of approx twelve assorted needles.
A miniature latch hook, with protective lid. Use it to pull snags through to the reverse side of fabric. Especially effective on knitted garments.
A handy beechwood comb from Milward’s ‘Green’ range. Useful for removing fluff, lint and pilling from wool and fabric. Use the black side for wool and cashmere, and the gold side for everything else.
Test on old garments beforehand to ensure that the product is suitable for the fabric.
Give your worn clothes a new lease of life! This mini mending loom is the perfect tool for repairing holes in your garments, reinforcing worn areas, or for adding decorative woven patches. Its compact size makes it easy to use and store.
The box contains a wooden darning disc, metal weaving frame, 5 elastic bands, 1 long needle and 1 latch hook - just add your own thread and you’re ready to create beautiful visible darns.
Perfect for creating woven patch sections up to 4.5 × 5.5cm
Colourful tapestry needles with a large flexible eye, perfect to thread any weight of yarn. The smooth aluminium finish makes them ideal for sewing up and finishing all your projects.
Pack of three needles in the following sizes:
2.25mm x 60mm
2.75mm x 70mm
3.25mm x 85mm
This wool wash bar from Shear Delight is perfect for blocking and hand washing your woollens. Produced in the Lake District, It contains lanolin and Jersey milk to brighten up garments and leave them feeling wonderfully soft. Fragranced with a subtle smell of daisies and fresh pine.
A useful addition to any knitters toolkit - three repair hooks in various sizes from KnitPro. Use the pointed end to unpick and the hook to pick up stitches. Great for dropping down your knitting to correct mistakes without having to unpick it all.
Sizes:
3.5mm
4.5mm
5.5mm
Mending kit containing all the tools you need to start repairing your knitwear in a hand-screen-printed bag.
Join the visible mending revolution. By Hand: Visible Mending will equip you with all the tools you will need to breathe new life into your beloved garments.
A wooden mushroom shaped tool traditionally used for hand darning holes and worn patches in socks, sleeves and other garments. Insert the handle into the head of the mushroom and place it under the area to be darned to provide stability. The darner is approximately 5.5cm across, and is finished with a smooth, clear varnish.
A special needle for repairing snags and pulled threads in knitwear, woven fabrics and upholstery. The ballpoint tip ensures that fibres aren’t split and the abrasive tip grips onto loose threads and pulls them to the back of the fabric so that they are no longer visible.
To use, insert the pointed end into the centre of the thread then gently draw it all the way through to the back, twisting the tool slightly as you do so. This handy little tool also works brilliantly for tidying short ends in needlework.
Solid brass tailor's thimble with a hole at the top - with an etched 'Merchant & Mills' logo.
The capless tailor’s thimble has an open top for tactile fabric control. It protects your finger without affecting dexterity. British engineered. Lacquered to prevent discolouring, size medium.
First Aid for Clothes! In a beautiful etched metal tin.
Contents: Black thread bobbin, white thread bobbin, needles in glass tube, pins, safety pins (varied x 3), shirt buttons, paper tape measure and baby bow scissors.
Dimensions: 9.8 x 5.8 x 2.5cm.
Long needles with long eyes suitable for thick thread or yarn. 10 needles.
They are the perfect choice for darning your socks and also do a good job of more industrious mending projects.
A mixture of sizes in a turned wooden case. Fits in any bag or pocket.
Block of pure beeswax in a cardboard pot.
Beeswax is traditionally used by tailors to strengthen thread when hand sewing buttonholes. It also prevents static and tangling. Use when darning and hand stitching.
A 15m card of wool-nylon thread, suitable for darning garments and socks or embroidering on knitwear.
55% Wool, 45% Nylon
Antique wooden darning eggs. Each one has been lightly restored by Chris, and retains a beautiful patina and its own unique character. Would make a lovely and practical gift, which can be used for darning, visible mending and embroidery.
Yarn Food’s hypoallergenic Sensitive Wash detergent with aloe vera is expertly designed for yarn crafters to clean, nourish and preserve yarn fibres naturally without irritating sensitive skin.
Lock in the love that you put into your knitted or crocheted handmades by giving them the care and nourishment they crave. Only the gentlest, most natural, hypoallergenic ingredients are used in this unscented no-rinse soak formula to clean, freshen, and feed your garments.