Reknitting a small hole

Here is the tutorial I have been promising you. This is a very hard thing to explain in words. Its so much easier to have someone looking over my shoulder when I teach it. I will do my best though and feel free to ask any questions if you are confused.

So this is the hole we are going to repair today.


We start out by turning it to the back and pulling the two broken ends out...

This is the path our thread is going to follow

So now we take the piece of yarn that we have threaded onto a crewel needle. It's best to use a crewel needle as they have a blunt end and a large eye. They are easier to thread and this way you have less of a chance of splitting your strands and instead glide through the holes. Take your needle and insert it about 1 1/2 to 2 inches away from your hole on the same strand as the hole lies. How far away you start greatly depends on how loosely woven and how large the gauge is of your knit. If it is a large gauge you start farther away to give your yarn a chance to grip tighter. Too close and you stand the chance of your repair unraveling. Make sure you are on the right thread or when you arrive at the hole you will find yourself above or below it!


Pull your yarn through leaving a little tail, then weave it back and forth along the path... (if you dont understand about the path please refer to my previous post on finding the path in a knit)


Upon reaching the damage you need to insert your needle through the first hole before it and pull it through to the front side.


It's best to reweave the hole itself on the front side so you can control your stitches for the best appearance. Weaving the beginning strands on the back side helps hide the repair better, although if you really wanted to you could do your whole repair from the front.


After you pull your thread through just continue along the path as you had before


Pushing it through to the backside once you reach the other side of the hole


And continue weaving past the repair for another 1 1/2 to 2 inches then snip...leaving a small tail. you can pull this tail through the back of a stitch if it bothers you with a small latchhook. I have pictured a small latchhook you can buy at most fabric stores that is very helpful with knitting repairs. Many repairs really need this tool.


Here is the finished repair. Hole gone! I suggest to finish this you steam it with an iron and then if necessary lay the item on a thick towel, cover it with a pressing cloth and LIGHTLY press it to flatten the repair.

I realize that I may have missed big gapes in the explanation area. I try to think of what I need to say and hope I dont assume too much about what you understand. Please if anyone has questions post them. It only helps me to build a better tutorial. Also any suggestions on teh presentation would be appreciated. This is a difficult skill, and even harder to explain. If people like this one I will gladly make more explaining things like how to REALLY fix a snag, how to fix a hole with a run, etc..
Hope you all have a great day!