UPDATE: the new Woollykins mushrooms have flat bottoms, for tabletop darning and standing on the shelf between uses, and a natural rubber/cotton elastic to hold your work in place. I haven't photographed the new batch yet but they're the same as what you see here, only better. :)
Woollykins darning mushrooms are hand-turned in Castlemaine, Australia, from hardwood offcuts and assorted salvaged timbers, including red gum, Vic ash, blackwood and more. Each one is unique.
The original medium mushroom is larger than most darning mushrooms (approx. 9cm diameter cap, 15cm length) and best for mending items such as jumpers and tea towels that need to lie fairly flat. (For sock mending I recommend using a smaller darning mushroom or a darning egg; view the collection here.)
Darning mushrooms help hold the shape of the item you’re mending and keep fabric taut, so you get a more natural-looking result.
You don’t need a darning mushroom to start darning (I’m a big fan of using oranges and other citrus when darning socks) but it has a few benefits:
- Having nice tools can motivate you to mend more often.
- If you tend to find your mending mojo late at night, there’s no risk of panicking when you discover you’re out of oranges and it’s too late to go to the shops. Your darning mushroom is a lifelong, dependable, 24/7 friend.
- If you like to mend while travelling, your darning mushroom won’t squish in your bag and won’t be confiscated if you travel interstate or overseas (fresh fruit is often subject to quarantine restrictions).
- A mouldy orange in your mending kit is not fun to deal with (speaking from experience).
Want to see how it’s done? Modern Mending the book includes 32 pages of detailed instructions on darning.
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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