Repairing Holes in Hand Knits
A hole in a beloved hand-knit is fixable. The technique varies depending on the size of the hole and the stitch pattern, but no hole is unrepairable.
Recommended A printable technique cheat-sheet for your knitting bag.
Small holes (1–3 stitches)
Use duplicate stitch with matching yarn to replace the missing stitches. Anchor the yarn into the surrounding fabric with small whip stitches before duplicate-stitching across the hole.
Medium holes (4–10 stitches)
Pick up live stitches around the hole with a fine needle, knit the missing rows, and graft the new stitches to the live stitches at the top of the hole. The repair is invisible from a distance.
In partnership Tools and supplies that make this technique easier.
Large holes
Cut out a clean rectangle around the hole. Pick up live stitches on all four edges. Knit a new patch in the round, joining the patch to the surrounding fabric as you knit. Or graft a pre-knit patch over the hole.
Decorative repair (visible mending)
For holes you do not want to hide, use contrasting yarn and embroidery techniques (Sashiko-style running stitch, decorative darning, embroidered floral patches). Visible mending celebrates the repair as part of the garment's history.
Abbreviation reference
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| WS | wrong side |
Tips
- For invisible repairs, use the original yarn or a perfect colour match.
- For decorative repairs, embrace contrast — visible mending is a tradition in its own right.
- Always anchor the repair yarn securely in the surrounding fabric to prevent unraveling.
In depth
Hand-knit repairs work because the structure of knitted fabric is regular and predictable. Each missing stitch can be reconstructed from its neighbours, either by duplicate stitch (for surface-level holes) or by re-knitting (for through-the-fabric holes). With patience, even a sweater eaten by moths can be restored to wearability.