Hey, hey, hey!
Is everybody ready to delve into the exciting world of sweater mending and crochet hooks??? Well??? Are you?
I know. I need everyone to calm down now. This is the exact sort of thing that could cause a flash mob. Keep your breathing slow and regular and you should be fine.
This kind of reminds me of the time I discovered my ornamental potato vine grew an actual potato. I couldn't sleep for days from the excitement of it. I practically got a nosebleed.
That's just how excited I get over getting something from nothing. I get the same kind of thrill from fixing things. So if a sweater gets a pull, I don't get upset. I get a crochet hook.
If you have a finely knit sweater you'll need a teensy tiny crochet hook like this one. The bigger the sweater the bigger the crochet hook you can use.
This is my favourite "old man" cardigan sweater. It has a pull in it. Ahem. It has several pulls in it.
To fix the pull just insert the crochet hook on the underside of the knit and poke it through right where the pull is on the other side.
Then carefully pull the crochet hook down ...
... making sure you hook the pull.
Pull the crochet hook through the knit being careful to make sure your hook comes straight through the hole you originally poked it out of. Otherwise ... you'll have another pull.
Now the pull that was on the outside, is on the inside!
And the outside looks perfect once again. It is fixed.
If you have goosebumps, don't be alarmed. It's a perfectly normal reaction to something as awesome as this. And I use the term awesome, the way it's supposed to be used. In reference to things that inspire awe. Niagara Falls, The Great Wall of China ... sweater fixin'.
There are other ways to try to pull the thread through (a needle, a straight pin, pushing it with a skewer, giving it a dirty look). The crochet hook just makes the job a lot easier.
And NO, do not cut the thread once you pull it inside the sweater. Your entire sweater will unravel when you least expect it, leaving you naked and ashamed while out and about wearing it. To make matters worse, it will probably be in an establishment with fluorescent lighting.
THIS IS SO EXCITING!!!! Now if you'll excuse me I have a Valium to take and a potato to ponder.
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Hi Karen, I'm afraid this is not how you fix a pull on a knitted garment. It's a quick way of hiding the pull, but it doesn't actually fix the problem. Here's a link to a video that shows you how to fix a pull--I just used it to mend my 'old man's cardie, and it's now good as new.
Really great advice and a method I've used for years, BUT I went to get my crochet hook from my sewing box and it has disappeared! Being disabled I wanted to order one online, but all I could find was sets of various sizes. I only need one! Do you have any suggestions where I could find a single one for snagging purposes?
Thank you thank you!! I think my mom has some crochet hooks floating around somewhere... You made me laugh. :)
You're welcome Clarice. ~ karen!
Karen's writing style is so very charming. You charmed my sweater pulls, Karen. Thanks for the info and the entertaining read!
You're very welcome Lisette. ~ Charming Karen
This post makes me glad that I pulled a..um pull, in my sweater yesterday!!! Hooray for damaged clothing and easy ways to repair it!
haha love it. I get excited about many things, well lets be honest, almost everything but I have yet to be excited about repairng a sweater, until now. So I'm going to pull out all the stops on my husbands three or four damaged sweaters!
what about if you cut the thread and then tie it into a knot?
Nope. You're not allowed to cut it. :) Chances are the threads will be too short to tie it into a knot. And really, there's no reason to cut it. If you want, you can gently twist the pull with your fingers which will form it into a sort of knot, to keep it from hanging all willy nilly on the inside of the sweater. If you want to get really fancy you can use the crochet hook to twine the loose threads along the inside the the sweater. ~ karen!
I tied the pulled thread into a knot (it was long enough to pull into one and I didn't cut it)! Will that keep the knot at bay? It shouldn't unravel anymore, right? Will it be ruined if it is washed or dry cleaned?
Thanks
Hi Mike, It's hard to tell without seeing it, but if no threads are cut then the sweater should be fine. If however your sweater is unravelling somewhere that means a thread somewhere is cut. If it's just a pull you'll be fine. But unravelling is another story. ~ karen!
I usually just use a needle because giving it the dirty look wasn't working for me. However, that crochet hook makes hella more sense.
I just love your post. I can hear you talking. might not be the right voice but i hear ya.
one little thing i might add is DO NOT cut the snag after you pull it to the inside. It will come undone!!!
thanks for the SMILES
Not that I'll ever do it, but really this was one gorgeous post! It was like watching a Delia Smith cooking program. thanks.
This also works wonderfully on woven rugs. My boyfriend about had a stroke when my dogs' nails messed up his favorite rug. He didn't believe me when I said I could fix it... a couple minutes later he swore I had magical powers.
Karen, I learn so much from your blog. It's something new everyday. I have a couple of sweaters in the closet with pulls. Now I just need a crochet hook. Thanks
Thank YOU, Todd. :) ~ karen
File this information wherever you prefer (forgettable, fascinating, icky, least life-changing) but that same gizmo is also used for mucking about with ingrown toenails. I went to a podiatrist once (full disclosure) and he pulled out one of these steely beauties from his foot-gadget-drawer, reminding me more than a teensy bit of Jeremy Irons a la "Dead Ringers". I had been using a similar macabre tool at home, thinking I was a wizard of creative problem solving. When I later reexamined my own version, the flat part you see in the pic above was embossed with "L'Oreal". So apparently I'm no genius, just an impulse drug store shopper with a fuzzy memory and no handmade doilies to speak of, foot-themed or not. I do however have a favourite sock-monkey type sweater with moth holes that I got creative with. I'll send you a pic later as I'm now going to wear it to work today. Maybe this story IS life-changing after all!
Waiting ...
Bueno. Now how about a lesson on crocheting?? I am trying to teach myself the chain however I can't figure out row two! Everything turns upside down or backwards... looking for your instructions on 'how to do'.
Faithfully Yours,
Erica
Hey Erica
you could go on "you tube" they had wonderful examples. and lots of them
I really enjoy your site! I receive your blog at work and it's the first thing I open in the morning. You make me smile... and you have such great knowledge and insight when it comes to doing stuff!
Thanks Kathy! ~ karen
we are going to flash mob your.... well, you know... your bottom... over this one, baby.