Question: What is a Darning Egg or Mushroom?
"I have heard that I need a darning Egg or mushroom when fixing socks. What are these and where can I get them?"
Answer: A darning egg or mushroom is a hard, round object that is inserted into a sock while darning (repairing) it. The darning egg makes it easier to stitch over the hole. This way, the sock doesn't get deformed while you stitch, and you will not accidentally stitch two sides of the sock together.
Darning Egg Alternatives
The reality here is that most people don't have a darning egg before they learn to darn. A popular alternative on some online darning tutorials is to use a light bulb instead. While this may work for some, it sounded kind of dangerous to me. You may squeeze the light bulb too much, hit it too hard with the darning needle, or worse, drop it!
The reality here is that most people don't have a darning egg before they learn to darn. A popular alternative on some online darning tutorials is to use a light bulb instead. While this may work for some, it sounded kind of dangerous to me. You may squeeze the light bulb too much, hit it too hard with the darning needle, or worse, drop it!
One alternative that I've found is to use a baseball bat. It has a rounded top and can be positioned between your knees to encourage good posture while you're darning on the couch. You could also use a maracas or large plastic Easter egg.
