Preserving the knitwear you love and have spent many hours creating, is a challenge for us all. The ever looming, insatiable clothes moth and an increasing need to cut our consumption of natural resources means there’s never been a better time to learn how to fix holes in your socks and sweaters. In this exciting new class, knitwear designer and mender, Fabienne Gassmann, will guide you through her extraordinary array of perfectionist darning techniques.

You will learn how to:

• diagnose a hole to work out the most appropriate fix
• understand the anatomy of the knitted stitch as part of rebuilding it
• create duplicate stitches known as Swiss Darning to seal a hole or reinforce a threadbare area
• harvest matching yarn for fixing from your knitwear
• fill holes on fine knitwear with needle felting for a satisfying and fun quick fix

Please a bring:

• 1 or 2 pieces of holey/nibbled at/broken knitwear. Socks are great for a first foray into darning or anything with a larger gauge and simple stitch pattern like garter or stocking stitch
• left-over wool from the piece of knitwear you’d like to fix if still available

About the Teacher
Fabienne Gassmann (RCA, Goldsmith’s College) is a knitwear designer working at the intersection of fashion, craft and social commentary. Her interest lies in stretching and questioning the commercial definition of fashion, addressing overproduction by emphasising the handmade and slow production methods like hand knitting and decorating existing garments through embroidery. Researching, learning and teaching of cross-cultural textile skills are all essential aspects of her mission to make fashion and getting dressed about the individual and about fighting gender, body and cultural stereotypes.