Darning needles are long and have a large eye for easy threading of the thicker threads and yarns most often used for darning.
I started using darning needles for hand stitching when I taught workshops for kids – darning needles’ long length and thickness make them easy for kids and beginner sewists to handle, and the large eye makes them easier to thread than standard hand-sewing needles. Once I’d used them for teaching I got hooked, and now darners are the needles I use for most of my hand-sewn mending projects.
This set contains 12 needles of different lengths. They have sharp points and are intended for darning thin woven fabric, e.g. tea towels and other linens. But you can use them for hand-sewing and embroidery projects as well. They would work well with thin yarns such as Scanfil cotton mending yarn, 1-3 strands of embroidery thread or any sewing thread (hand-stitching only; sewing thread is too thin for darning).
For a bigger range of needle sizes (including needles for darning socks and medium-weight knitwear), try Prym yarn darners or the Prym Combi Card. For thick needles with blunt tips for darning chunky hand-knit items, try Clover darning needles.
Made in China and packaged in a reusable flip-open pack made of cardstock and plastic.
Want to see how it’s done? Modern Mending the book includes 32 pages of darning instructions and 18 pages of hand-stitching instructions, with photographs and illustrated diagrams.
Weekly dispatch
This shop dispatches orders once a week so I can do alllll the things – including running this shop and running after two tiny tots – and enjoy my life. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated.
Shipping carrier
I ship via Australia Post. If you select Express Post at checkout, it will speed up Australia Post's delivery timeframe but won't speed up my process.
After your order has been packed, you will receive an email notification with your Australia Post tracking number, which you can use to check on the delivery status of your order.
International customers: click here for current Australia Post international delivery timeframes.
Shipping fees
Shipping is currently a flat rate of $12 within Australia ($17 Express Post); international shipping is calculated at checkout. Gift vouchers are delivered electronically and do not require shipping.
International shipping
I ship worldwide with the exception of the UK, due to VAT regulations that came into effect on 1 January 2021. If you are in the UK you can order the UK edition of my book from your local bookshop.
Local delivery
Customers in Northcote, Thornbury and nearby suburbs (subject to capacity) can select local delivery at checkout. Local delivery is extra-slow and coincides with my pram-walking / kid-wrangling schedule, up to one week after purchase.
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I choose to reuse
When shipping orders my first priority is to reuse packaging materials whenever possible – boxes, padded mailers, cardboard, paper, tissue paper, bubble wrap and egg cartons from neighbours, second-hand shops and recycling centres. I cannot guarantee the materials used to ship your order will be plastic-free for this reason.
I buy recycled packaging
If I don’t have suitable second-hand packaging to use for your order, my next priority is packaging made from recycled materials. It's important to me to support Australian companies making good products from our recyclables, and to make sure that material gets a second life.
Tape
I use compostable, gummed kraft-paper tape to seal my parcels whenever possible. I have a second-hand tape wetter that I love, purchased from my local op shop. Gummed paper tape is available at most art-supply shops if you want to make the switch yourself!
Express Post orders will have official plastic "Express Post" tape added.
International orders will have a plastic pocket taped to them, to accommodate paperwork required by customs.
Individual product packaging
Every item for sale on this website has its packaging components listed and in most cases photographed, so you can make an informed decision.
Upstream packaging
When I speak to my suppliers I specifically ask that my orders be supplied to me without plastic packaging, whenever possible, to avoid waste and single-use plastic. This isn’t always possible, but I’ll keep asking, forever.
Here's how one of my suppliers has my name recorded in its database:
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