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Hobbies & crafts

How to Darn a Sock by Hand

Rebuild a thin heel or toe with a woven darning patch using a needle, thread, and a smooth form to support the fabric.

10 clear steps·Illustrated guide
Hands weaving a patch over a hole in a sock stretched on a wooden darning form.
  1. 01

    Gather your mending tools

    Set out a clean, dry sock, a darning needle (with an eye big enough for your thread), matching thread or fine yarn, a smooth form such as a darning egg (or a wooden spoon head, small jar, or tennis ball), and small scissors. Choose thread that’s similar in color and thickness to the sock so the patch blends and feels comfortable.

    Sock, needle, thread, wooden darning egg, and small scissors laid out on a table.
  2. 02

    Turn the sock inside out and neaten the hole

    Flip the sock inside out so any knots or ends will sit on the inside when worn. Gently trim fuzzy loose fibers around the hole without cutting into the solid fabric. Plan to mend an area slightly larger than the hole to catch strong fabric all around it.

    Hands turn a sock inside out and trim frayed bits around a small hole.
  3. 03

    Insert a smooth form under the hole

    Slide the darning egg or other smooth form under the hole and stretch the fabric just enough to flatten it, not so tight that stitches gape. Hold the sock against the form with your non-dominant hand so the area is firm and easy to stitch.

    Sock stretched over a wooden form with the hole centered and held flat by a hand.
  4. 04

    Thread the needle and anchor your start

    Cut a comfortable length of thread you can pull through without tangling. Thread the needle. Start a short distance outside the hole and take a tiny stitch to anchor the thread. If you prefer, use a small knot on the inside to secure the first stitch before you begin.

    Hand threads a needle and makes a small anchoring stitch near the hole.
  5. 05

    Stabilize the area with a simple outline

    Work small running stitches in an oval or rectangle around the hole, sitting in sound fabric. This outline keeps the edges from spreading and gives your patch something to grab onto as you weave.

    Needle making a ring of small stitches around the hole in the sock.
  6. 06

    Lay the first set of long foundation strands

    Bring the needle up on one side of the hole and carry the thread straight across to the other side, taking a small stitch into solid fabric to anchor it. Repeat side by side to create parallel strands that bridge the gap, evenly spaced, slightly beyond the hole on both ends.

    Parallel threads span the hole, anchored on each side of intact fabric.
  7. 07

    Weave crosswise rows through the strands

    Turn the sock so the strands run vertically. Pass the needle over one strand and under the next, traveling across the hole. At each end, catch a bit of sound fabric to anchor the row. On the return row, alternate the over–under pattern to create a woven grid.

    Needle weaves a crosswise row through the vertical foundation strands.
  8. 08

    Pack rows snugly and keep tension even

    Continue weaving rows, nudging each new row gently against the last with the needle tip so there are no gaps. Keep your pull firm enough to lie flat but not so tight that the fabric puckers. Work until the woven patch fully fills the hole and meets the outline stitches.

    Needle tip pushes woven rows together to make a dense, even patch.
  9. 09

    Secure the thread and tidy the inside

    When the patch is complete, take a few small backstitches into the surrounding fabric to lock the thread. Weave the tail back and forth through the patch on the inside and trim the excess. Clip any remaining fuzzy bits so the area feels smooth.

    Needle backstitches at the patch edge while scissors trim the tail.
  10. 10

    Turn right side out and check the finish

    Remove the form and flip the sock right side out. Rub the patch gently between your fingers to settle the weave, then try the sock on to check comfort. If you feel a lump, massage the area or adjust from the inside by easing a stitch before trimming any last threads.

    Hand holds a sock with a smooth woven patch and rubs it to soften the finish.

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