r/Visiblemending • u/Patronusly_Charmed • 3d ago

REQUEST Mending loom

Hi, everyone. I’m looking for a darning loom for knitwear (like a Speedweave), and there are so many options. Has anyone used one before? If so, do you prefer metal or wood? Maybe y’all know of a different option or tool. I’m very new to mending, but would love to learn that valuable skill. Every step towards being more sustainable is high on my priority list. Thank you in advance for your time.

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u/QuietVariety6089 3d ago

I think that they are really all about the same - they are fine for a limited range of projects, but I generally find that a lot of mending - most especially knitwear - is easier done free hand. You might want to look for a darning egg or mushroom, and I often use very small embroidery hoops 'inside out' to stabilize small repairs.

Looms are better for heavier woven fabrics that have larger holes. If you want to try one out, get a cheap one and see if you like it.

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u/ChoosingPositivity00 2d ago

Embroidery hoop inside out is a new idea for me…how is it better than embroidery hoop regular for mending?

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u/QuietVariety6089 2d ago

You can pick whether you hoop the fabric from the right side or wrong side - depends on if you're doing hand or machine mending. There are also low profile embroidery hoops that are good for machine darning and smaller spaces (like sleeves) if you can find them. Does that make sense?

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u/lopendvuur 3d ago

You can get a free 3d printing file from the internet.

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u/QuietVariety6089 3d ago

If you don't have access to a 3d printer, you can find them on ebay or Amazon for under $10, shipped.

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u/WanShangCha 2d ago

I like mine for socks, I don't really use them for anything else. This seems to be super hit or miss for other people due to texture problems, I do a 70/30 wool nylon blend onto hiking socks and it feels fine to me.

I have 2, one ~2in and one ~5in diameter, both in metal with a wood disk. the smaller one is my nicer one with thicker metal. this is mostly important because if feels like it digs into the material less, and is less likely to create new small holes a the corners of the frame. If I was going to buy another I would consider a wood frame instead to see if it would help with this. I also switched to using a hair tie instead of the spring it came with for similar reasons.

after about 2.5in diameter I don't think its worth going up in size as a circle, I keep meaning to either make or get an additional pedestal for my smaller one that is more oblong to see if it fits my needs better.