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Though we still have a few warm days left, there was chill in the NYC air this weekend that signaled the time had come: time to unpack my cool weather clothes. Facing the arrival of fall also means facing the unsettling sight of how many of my wool and cashmere sweaters now have holes in them from being stored away. Moths are no friend of mine and it never fails (no matter how many moth balls I use) that they manage to ruin one of my faves. Or so I thought.
Instead of taking the loss to the moths this year and tossing holey garments, try taking your sweaters to a tailor or professional knitter for reweaving. Basically, he/she will mend the sweater by hand-weaving the hole closed with your sweater's material. It sounds simple, but it's actually quite intense (check out the picture).
So you know when you buy a sweater and it comes with that little packet of extra thread? Save it! This is what the tailor/knitter will use to fix holes and snags. If you've already thrown it out, though, don't worry – most places that reweave should be able to come close to matching the fabric.
After sorting through my bins, I took two of my sweaters in to be rewoven at $30 a piece. Now I know that seems pricey – especially in comparison to other tailoring jobs – but you have to keep in mind how meticulous reweaving is. Chances are your sweater was machine knit or woven and now the knitter has to match that pattern by hand. It's money well spent in my mind for saving a few of my favorite sweaters, not to mention still cheaper than buying new replacements. And hey, with the money you save why not treat yourself to something new?
