Mending Socks Made Easy

Dear users, dear authors,
Do you have any tips and tricks for darning socks?

I could really use some good advice myself, because I absolutely hate darning socks. I’d be grateful for any tips, since I have a few pairs of socks just waiting to be worn again.

When darning socks, a darning egg or darning mushroom is useful—it makes the process easier. Place the darning tool inside the sock, stretch the part of the sock with the hole over the tool with your left hand, and then close the hole with a darning needle, just like weaving. This means first stretching the thread in one direction by *darning* back and forth, then turning the whole thing so you can *weave*. Pass the needle once over the stretched thread and once under it; don’t pull it too tight, or it will look crumpled—you don’t want it to pinch or chafe. Once the hole is mended, weave in the ends, cut them, and you’re all set.

If the area (e.g. on the heel) isn’t worn right through yet but has just become thin, I reinforce it with duplicate stitch. Then it’s nice and sturdy again, and you can hardly tell it’s been darned.

Does anyone else have anything to say on this topic?