Needled

It's good to have some knitting on the go. The wool for this "Aran" jumper is from Jamiesons of Shetland (via the Knitting & Stitching show) - it's for someone who wears out the elbows quickly, and will have leather patches from the outset.

Good cotton socks being the price they are these days, the favourite ones are worth preserving - and I'm loving using bright colours to reinforce the thinning heels and toes -

The darning mushroom is a help, but you can use a suitable light bulb if you don't have a mushroom. Work from the wrong side, and the loose ends will be hidden.

Another darning project is my favourite dishtowel, made in Sweden by Ekelund but purchased in a tiny craft shop in Denmark Hill -

The towel has a complicated weave in four colours, and it reached quite a state of wear and disrepair, front and back both. My repair re-weaves the warp threads, using a variegated cotton. The towel cost about £14 at the time - extravagant? - no, it's had a long life, about 20 years. I'm not sure how long the mending will prolong its life ... perhaps some decorative machine stitching on the worn areas will help too.

Moths again -

Large holes, some of them ... repair will need a very creative approach! At the moment I'm fixing the (many) small holes in this garment - and rotating other silks and woollens through the freezer - three days in, three days out, three days in again. Just in case.