There is actually some knitting involved in this
So these are the patches. Nothing fancy, just more or less oval shaped, and a good bit bigger than the worn area on the sweater.
I’m knitting the patches in Ontheround’s Everyday DK in Silver Lining Tweed. That’s actually the exact same yarn I used for the original patch (this is more leftovers from the same skein I used before).
You can see that the original patch faded a good bit since I put it on. This is totally MY fault, NOT the yarn’s fault. I have done things to this yarn that no yarn should have to endure. I’ve washed it in hot water with piles of other clothes at least once a week since last April. I’ve washed it with oxyclean (you should never do that to wool, it’s very bad for it, but I know I’ve forgotten and done it a few times, I think that’s what lifted the color). I’ve thrown it in the dryer every time I’ve washed it. And while it did fade, it didn’t felt, and it didn’t shrink, which is really rather amazing.
If I were suggesting a yarn for a mend like this (where you’re going to wash it frequently and not gently), I’d probably steer you towards something superwash, with nylon, that can handle being knit fairly tightly…in other words, sock yarn. But since I know this works like a dream and I have it handy, I’m just using the same stuff again.
But just to be safe, I am going to throw the finished patches in the washer and dryer once or twice before I put them on the sweater. I’ve knit them a tiny bit looser this time than on the last patch, and loose fabric has more room to shrink than tight fabric, so just to be super safe I want to give them a chance to shrink up before I put them on the sweater.
But don’t worry, there’s something else to fix while those are in the wash. We’ll do that next time.
Mailing List
Want to hear when a new pattern comes out or something fun is going on? Sign up below!
Patreon
Want to support the content I create, get nifty bonus material for some of my favorite patterns, or get every new release delivered right to your inbox? Head over to patreon and sign up!