Sunday, March 22, 2009

Tutorial - Mending a Sweater Snag - easiest thing ever!

EDIT: hi craftzine readers! welcome!

i promised another mending tutorial, didn't i!

this is barely tutorial worthy, because it's SO easy. i thought everyone knew how to do this, but when i fixed a sweater of my little brother's, he and his girlfriend were AMAZED! it's funny how some things just seem like second nature to you because you can't remember not knowing it, but it's completely foreign to others.

anyway! onto the tutorial!

start with a sweater that's snagged, obviously! this sweater wasn't the best for photos, because it's so thin and see through, but it was the only i hadn't already fixed!
snag a

now haul out your needle threader. i have a fancy clover one, because i'm obsessed with their sewing notions (really), but the cheapies work fine too! needle threaders can be bought at a craft store, or even at a dollar store, and they're often found in basic sewing kits if you can't find them individually to buy.

from the inside of the sweater, poke the needle threader wire through the hole where the snag is.
step 1a

this is the tricky part! guide the threads of the sweater, the snag, into the little diamond wires. once they're in, gently pull the needle threader back to the inside of the sweater.

you're done! if the snag really pulled your sweater, you might need to gently tug it a bit, just to get the fibers straightened out.
step 2a
there will still be a small hole on most sweaters, but trust me, no one will notice it except you!

super simple, right? i told you!

but wait! there's more tutorial!

some people find getting the snag into the needle threader to be a bit of a hassle, and i'm definitely one of them. depending on the weight of your sweater, it can be pretty darn fussy!

instead of a needle threader, you can also use dental floss threaders. i LOVE these, they're such a great invention. of course, i don't have braces, and i can floss using regular floss, but it's fabulous for crafty purposes! (i use them a lot to string beads on yarn for crocheting)
tool b

again, start with a snag (aren't i lucky that my sweater had enough snags to do this twice?!)
snag b

the floss threaders are easier to use because instead of trying to push the needle threader through from the inside, hoping you're in the right spot, you're going to push the hard end of the floss threader through the sweater from the outside. gently slide the end of the floss threader through right where the snag started.
step 1b

again, fiddle with the snag and push it into the opening of the floss threader. it's a still a little bit fiddly, but since the floss threader had a much bigger opening, it's less fiddly than the needle threader.

done! again, you might need to gently tug the sweater fabric.
step 2b


can you see where the snag was? it's practically invisible!
done

5 comments:

Hello there! My name is June said...

Awesome! I needed to know this! When I find a sweater I like ...I hate to part with it because of one stupid snag.

Thanks for sharing!
:o)

kelly said...

In a pinch (when I've been at work and had no easy access to a needle threader), I have also used a bent paper clip.

It's not nearly as graceful as either of these two options (and you really have to work to get the thread through the smaller area) but it has definitely saved me in a Snag Emergency.

Hrm... perhaps I should put a needle threader in my drawer. I don't think my mending kit there has one!

amy dame said...

thanks june! glad to help!

kelly, you're way more committed than me! i don't think i've ever had a snag emergency, but i think that's just because i'm lazy. (i don't have a mending kit at my desk either. see? lazy!)

most of my snags come from my cats anyway, so i'm at home when they happen.

Rachel@oneprettything.com said...

Oh this is fantastic! I'm so glad I found your blog, such great information! I'd love to link to this if you don't mind. I keep telling myself I need to stop buying those gauzy vintage sweaters, it's too painful when they snag. Now I can buy without fear, thanks!

amy dame said...

i'm glad to help! thanks rachel!

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