Whether you have spotted an annoying hole in your knitting while working on a project, or your favorite hand-knitted sweater has developed a hole after years of wear, there is no need to throw it away. With a tapestry needle and some scrap yarn, you can repair it almost invisibly.

Scenario 1: The Hole Occurred While Knitting (Accidental Yarn Over or Dropped Stitch)

If you find a hole in the project currently on your needles, it is almost always caused by one of two things:

An accidental yarn over: You wrapped the yarn over the needle on a previous row without realizing. This creates a hole and adds a stitch.
Fix: If caught on the next row, simply drop the extra loop off the needle. If found many rows down, you must either ladder back down to fix it, or sew the hole closed from the back at the end.
A dropped stitch: A stitch has fallen off the needle and run down the fabric.
Fix: Follow our guide to fix a dropped stitch with a crochet hook.

Scenario 2: Wear and Tear or a Hole in a Finished Garment

If the thread has broken or the fabric has worn thin, we use a technique called duplicate stitch (or Swiss darning) to rebuild the stitches.

Step 1: Secure Live Stitches

Thread a contrasting scrap piece of yarn through any loose loops around the hole so they cannot run or unravel further.

Step 2: Thread the Needle

Thread a tapestry needle with matching yarn (same color and fiber if possible, or similar thickness).

Step 3: Work Duplicate Stitches

Bring the needle from the back to the front, just below the hole. Trace the path of the broken stitch: go under the stitch above it, then back down into the point where your thread emerged. This duplicates the look of the knit stitch. Repeat this over all broken stitches until the hole is completely filled and stable.

Step 4: Secure the Ends

Pull all ends through to the wrong side (WS) of the work. Weave the ends into the surrounding fabric over a slightly wider area than the patch to distribute tension and prevent future tearing.

Preventing Holes in High-Wear Areas

Socks and the elbows of sweaters are highly vulnerable to wearing thin. To prevent holes:

Hold a thin nylon reinforcement thread together with your wool yarn when knitting heels.
Choose sock yarn that contains 20-25% nylon/polyamid for durability.
Wash wool garments gently, as rough friction weakens the fibers.