The Darning-Last: A Curved Face to Stretch the Hole Over

"The object of my invention is to provide a simple and convenient device for use in the operation of darning, embroidering, or the like, which shall embody in its construction means for supporting the material worked upon, and receptacles for the thread and needles; to which end my improvement consists in combining, with a hollow stretcher having a concave surface for holding the work, and a receptacle for containing a ball of thread, a hollow handle, which serves as a needle-receptacle". "The instrument so constructed is a useful adjunct in darning and embroidery. The concave surface formed upon the end of the stretcher enables the material to be held thereon as tightly as may be desired, while giving ample room for the movements of the needle, and the thread and needle receptacles in the stretcher and its handle are conveniently located for the operator."

Put a darning egg (or any smooth curved form) inside a sock under the hole, and pull the knit smooth over it without stretching the hole wider. Thread a blunt needle with yarn matched to the sock. Lay warp threads across the hole, starting and ending half a centimetre into sound knit, turning loosely at each end so the darn does not pull. Then weave weft threads at right angles, over one and under one, pushing each row close to the last. Count your passes and time them; compare with the notebook. Wear the sock: a good darn lies flat.

**Elizabeth G. Harley** of Haddonfield, New Jersey, filed US 156,702 on 17 September 1874; it is dated 10 November 1874. She notes that hollow oval darning implements holding needles and thread were already known, and claims her combination with the concave face. **Honest limits.** Margin, thread density and time per pass in the notebook are examples; the yarn length ignores the turns.