It seems that autumn is well and truly on its way, and you may be digging your winter woollies out as the mornings and evenings start to get chillier. But what to do if you find that your favourite chunky knit has developed a moth hole or two (or several!)?
Moth holes are not caused by the adult moths themselves, but by the larvae of the clothes moth. They like the dark, and they feed predominantly on woollen clothes – although if you have stored non-woollens with your woollens, then these may also have been munched.
Freeze it
The first thing to do is to try and kill the larvae and any eggs so that they can’t do any more damage. The easiest way to do this is to put the affected items into a sealed plastic bag and place them in the freezer for a few days. Then take the bags out and let them return to room temperature, before repeating the process.
Darn it
The traditional way of dealing with moth holes is to darn them, in the same way your granny might have done with her socks.
You will need:
A large needle
Yarn either in a matching or a contrasting colour
Darning mushroom
Scissors
1) Place your darning mushroom (or equivalent – you can use anything with a rounded side – something like a teacup would do the job) under the hole.
2) If it is quite a big hole that you are darning, sew a circle of running stitch about half a centimetre away from the edge of your hole to prevent the hole from stretching and getting worse while you are mending it.
3) Secure your thread by sewing two to three stitches on top of each other, in an undamaged part of fabric close to the hole.
4) Sew horizontal stitches across the hole starting and ending close to, but on the hole side of, your circle of running stitches.
5) Then weave a series of stitches perpendicular to your horizontal stitches, working the thread over and under your stitches.
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.
Patch it
If you have a large hole, or are not a fan of darning, then you can always place a patch over the moth hole(s). You can either make your own patches using fabric scraps and a fusible webbing, for example Bondaweb, or you can buy ready-made patches in a variety of shapes. You can even buy patches in the shape of moths.
1) Again, sew a running stitch around the hole before applying your patch to help prevent the hole getting any bigger.
2) Iron your patch in place.
3) Secure it by hand sewing around the edge to ensure it survives being washed.
Needle felting
Needle felting is a quick and easy way to deal with moth holes. This is a really great technique if you have a jumper or cardigan with lots of small holes, and it looks really effective if you use different colours and end up with a kaleidoscope of little woolly patches.
You will need:
A felting needle
Wool roving (this looks like wool before it is spun) in a matching or contrasting colour
A piece of foam or a sponge (this often comes supplied with the needles)
You can purchase all these things from a good craft store, or online. Alternatively you can buy Woolfiller kits online which contain all you need for several holes.
1) Put the piece of foam under the hole. Pull off a small piece of the wool roving and place it over the hole.
2) Stab the wool roving repeatedly with your felting needle. This will mesh the fibers of the wool roving with the fibres of your jumper.
Jen Gale persuaded her family to embark upon a year of buying nothing new in 2012 and started the daily blog My Make Do and Mend Year. The year has officially ended, but she is still passionate about spreading the word, and getting everyone doing a little bit of make-do and mend.
Interested in finding out more about how you can live better? Take a look at this month’s Live Better Challenge here.
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