I have literally never felt like such a domestic goddess before.

I went to work. I came home. Did all the dishes. Did some homework. And then I finally got around to a task I’d been meaning to work on for two weeks: mending! I actually fixed something that was broken! It’s so satisfying. Everyone should know how to mend.

First of all, here are the materials I used:

Scissors to cut the thread, a needle, a seam-ripper, and somehow I randomly had the EXACT same colour thread as the sweater. So that was unexpectedly cool.

Here’s what I had to work with:

It’s not my usual colour, but it was $5 for 100% lambswool. Made in Scotland. How could I resist?

The sleeves, however, were not looking so hot. Do moths actually eat wool or is that a thing of the past? Because it looks like moths have been munching on this sweater…

Sleeve #1 may not look too bad at first glance. It only has a couple tiny holes. Until you notice that its previous owner had done quite an awful mending job with a mismatched bright green thread. They didn’t do an invisible stitch either, so the thread is clearly visible. Luckily my grandma taught me how to do an invisible stitch when I was a kid, so I remember how to do it. Sleeve #2 is obviously in pretty bad shape too.

I started by twisting the thread around my finger a few times and then rolling it off with my finger and thumb to make a knot. Not sure if that makes any sense at all, but it’s basically a way easier method than squinting and trying to tie a teeny tiny knot. I started from the inside of the sleeve so that my knot, and any thread tail, would be hidden. Then, I did an invisible ladder stitch. I found a tutorial on Youtube that shows you how to do it.

I did this stitch on both sides of the holes and tightened the stitches, bringing both sides of the fabric close together and successfully closing up the hole. Let’s see how it turned out.

Now, sleeve #1 looks much better. My stitching is hidden, but even if a tiny bit of it shows, it’s a matching colour! Sleeve #2 looks a tiny bit wonky because the hole I had to close up was very large. Now there’s a slight gather that appeared when I pulled the two sides of fabric closer together. That’s okay. It’s better than having a big hole in the sleeve!

Tonight I transformed something worn-out into something wearable. I think that’s a win for sustainability and slow fashion! Now I just have to wash it. I was too scared before in case the holes would get even bigger, but this sweater smells like old lady perfume. Don’t worry, I won’t put it in the dryer!!