Mending a Hole

This technique is courtesy of Andrea, Fruity Knitting. eg threadbare areas around a hole in the back of the heel of a sock. The aim is to knit a lattice that is larger than the area that will be appliqued over the hole.

Technique:

1. Start the patch 2 - 3 stitches below the threadbare area and 2 - 3 rows wider than the area.
2. Working from right to left, and using a dpn that is smaller than the needle size the sock was knitted on, pick up the right leg of all the stitches in the first row eg 19 stitches.
3. Thread a darning needle with plenty of yarn and weave in the end, coming up through the middle of the stitch immediately to the right of the first stitch on the dpn.
4. Knit across the dpn stitches with another dpn with yarn that is attached to a darning needle, from right to left. Secure at the end of the row by going down between the next stitches with the darning needle, under two bars and up, ready to purl back.
5. Slip the first stitch of the row purl-wise and then purl back.
6. Continue back and forth in this manner until the patch is complete and the sides have been secured, ending with a knit row.
7. Turn the work around so that the patch is facing away from you, and with the spare dpn pick up the same number of stitches eg 19 from the sock immediately below the stitches on the dpn.
8. Use Kitchener stitch to finish off the live stitches and weave in the yarn end.