How do you mend stockings?

Kitten

Thu, May 01 2014, 11:16 am

Just to give you an idea, I wear 70 deniers stockings. For small holes, I use nail polish. It works fine. For big holes, I sew them with regular thread, but depending on where the hole is placed, it breaks again after some time. I was thinking to try sewing with nylon thread. Have any of you tried it? How do you usually repair your stockings?

amother

Thu, May 01 2014, 11:19 am

Forget repair---I never get around to rewashing them so they are never reworn. Are the thicker stockings more expensive? The ones I get are pretty cheap and not worth the hassle of fixing.

rae gi

Thu, May 01 2014, 11:20 am

I have never mended socks or stockings, but I have mended a bra strap using dental floss as thread. It's super strong.

greenfire

Thu, May 01 2014, 11:21 am

aren't stocking disposable ... how can you mend them ?

Kitten

Thu, May 01 2014, 11:25 am

amother wrote:

Forget repair---I never get around to rewashing them so they are never reworn. Are the thicker stockings more expensive? The ones I get are pretty cheap and not worth the hassle of fixing.

I guess they are more expensive, but since I only wear thick ones, I never look at the prices for thin ones. They cost around $5 or $6 a pair, so it's not what I would call disposable.

greenfire

Thu, May 01 2014, 11:35 am

so sew them - but if the hole is somewhere visible - it's a little tacky

zaq

Thu, May 01 2014, 7:07 pm

The thread will break or the fabric will tear because the fabric is stretchy and the thread isn't. Either use elastic thread or sew with a loose, flexible stitch. But the "correct" way to mend hose is by darning--which is not taking the two ends of the hole and sewing them together like a seam, but weaving a patch that fills in the space. Otherwise the fabric will pull and thats why it tears again.

The last time I heard of anyone mending hose was a good 50 years ago--my mother was an expert--and then it was cotton or wool socks, which are much thicker than even 70 denier tights. I know how in theory, but am not very good at it, and frankly, by the time a sock is worn enough to need darning, it's not worth the effort because it's not going to be long for this world in any event. Also, unless you can make a nice, smooth, flat darn, a darn anywhere on the foot and especially on the bottom of the foot will be most uncomfortable.

Yiyshar kochech for your efforts at conservation, but I'm not sure that today's tights really lend themselves to darning. You need thick multiple-ply thread to darn--if you try to use regular sewing thread, it will take forever. But what the hey, it's worth a try if only so that you can say you did it, and who knows, maybe you will be good at it and get a few more months' wear out of your tights. The Internet has everything and I'm sure you can Google on "how to darn hose" and find instructions.

Let us know how it works. Who knows, you may start a whole trend.

Ruchel

Fri, May 02 2014, 7:33 am

I wear 20 or 25 deniers and never managed to make the polish work. How do you do?