Stuart Moores Textiles is a design studio focused on sustainable textile practices. Natural dyeing, mending, knitting, sewing, and textile world travel.
This is the best needle tutorial I've found on RU-vid (and I've watched a ton of them!). I'm an experienced beginner now, and here's what I've learned: 1). She's absolutely right: trim to an 1/8 of an inch. Other tutorials have said 1/4" , but any more than an 1/8 makes curves too hard to turn under. Take your time trimming. Good prep = better results 2). Use a size 11 needle (milliner's needle!). I've bought and tried many different sized needles. You definitely want something thin and easy to push and pull! I'm currently using Bohn 11s but have John James Milliners Straw Needles (11) coming from Amazon. My man fingers could use something a little longer. 3). My thread of choice is YLI silk thread (200 meters per spool). Yes, it's more expensive than regular thread, but it is strong and thin! It hides itself easily! I haven't had any problems with knotting, and I cut my initial thread at about 16-18 inches. 4). I thought snipping to the line on curves was insane, but thrust me, when doing inner curves, it makes turning on your drawn line so much easier. If you don't snip to the line on an inner curve, the fabric won't turn on the line. 5). Baste your applique patch rather than pin it. Yes, it take more time, but thread gets caught in pins very easily. I am so glad I basted!! 6). Unless your an eagle, by a pair of readers. I'm using a 4x pair! 7). Be patient with yourself. Get over the idea of doing something quickly and practice mindfulness (being present to the moment). Needle turning is not something that can be rushed. It's why we work by hand anyway, right? 8). Do a sample piece before you try needle turning your actual project. It's worth the time to get the feel of the process. 9). Happiness is a needle turn curve on your actual line!!!! It's almost better than ice cream! Thanks for your tutorial. It gave me the clearest idea of how to proceed!
For those of you using the same colour thread and feeling blind! I just found a hack! Put the sweater behind a light source and you can see ALL the HOLES you need to go through!
This tutorial is just amazing! I think using some quick basting stitches could be a good alternative for the big pins in the middle. Your thread doesn't get caught and you can't accidentally prick yourself no matter how you hold/turn your work.
Thank you very much for this this is helping me improve my knitting I've been knitting for over 35 years and I found this is the best carry on that I can find I make hats for the the cancer kids and I make hats for the homeless I make about 100 hats for cancer kids and 100 hats every year for the homeless our church when it's raining real hard cold our church let them sleep there they can take showers can we feed them call them. I just love this it make change color and weave in as you go. Thanks alot for share this with us all
Congratulations on your beautiful creations. You are very good and you explain perfectly! Everything. I have a question...what kind of fabric do you use? Linen, cotton, canvas or what else?
Lmao, discovered this after spending 84 YEARS mending a large hole in a sock with thread that is WAAAAY too thin and short, so I've got about a million loose ends to deal with 😅🤣🤣🤣. Gonna try your method next time for sure!!
Hi. I hope you see this comment on your old video. I'm wondering why you don't just weave from one side to the other. Is it just so it's interesting to do or does it serve a purpose in the actual darning? I've been darning my socks for many years, since the first ones I knitted first started getting holes. I've never done it your way but I'm open to education if it makes a better mend. And if it's just to keep it interesting, that's a good reason too! Thanks!
I just finished my first repair on a sock I knit a few years ago. It feels great under my foot. Thank you for the great explanation. I used my lemon press. I might try a light bulb next time.
Your video was really helpful with the curves. I want to add applique to a denim jacket. Do you think this type of applique would hold up well? Also, I was considering adding batting behind my applique to add some dimension. Is this possible? Haven't seen any videos talk about it.
I have been given quite a large bag of walnuts shells (hulls) . What can I expect when dying white wool . Thanks for the post cheers Pat nz. Ps what about walnut leaves plz????
Thank you so much for these clear instructions. I learned to applique in the dark ages, basting every piece before appliquing. I have been afraid of trying needle turn. Does your left thumb not hurt. I’m pumped to try it
Excellent thorough tutorial! I was having trouble starting, going up to the next row and did not realize to capture the new and old stitches. Plus all the other great tips and how to tie your ends off at the end. Thank you so much! -John's wife
I’m back and I needed to tell you that I refer to your videos each time I make a repair as a refresher. Thank you once again. However, you have not put out a video in some time. I think I’d look forward to an update on how you have improved and what you would change in your mending.
Thanks for replying. My eyes are a bit dodgy so I wasn’t sure if it was me 😂 I’m experimenting with making short instructional videos and it is not as easy as it looks. For me it’s like patting my head and circling my belly (if you know what I mean?!). I loved your singing bowl trick too ❤
This is the first video I've found that shows how to do more than one row - thank you! I really had no idea how to get to the next row properly before this!
Great tutorial, I finally feel like I could pull this off. What if there’s already a hole in the knitting? I think I’ve seen people put pins in to hold the loops in place during the process, but that seems extremely fiddly, especially since what I need to mend is a very fine knit.
