Mending Knit Workshop – with Celia Pym

Join Celia Pym for a workshop exploring the art of textile repair on knitted and wool textiles.

It considers the tenderness and care of mending, how we do it and why we do it. The aim is to practice mending techniques on knit. You will learn about artists working with repair. You will learn and develop skills in woven and fake ‘knitted’ darning. There will be an opportunity to work on repairing any sweaters and socks and wool accessories that you own and that have holes. Please bring along any damaged wool and knitted items that you would like to discuss repair options for. Darning materials will be provided.

No previous darning, knitting, needle based experience is necessary.

Celia Pym has been exploring mending since 2007 with extensive experience of small everyday holes, at heels, elbows, in pockets as well as working on more dramatic damage, from water damage, animal nesting and moths issues. Celia’s interests are around the evidence of damage – through repair you look closely at where garments and cloth have got worn down and thin. In clothing this wearing is often to do with use and how the body moves. Celia says “she likes that darning is often small acts of care and paying attention to where things fray and wear out.”

Celia lives and works in London. She was awarded the NOW Gallery Fashion Commission 2024 and made SOCKS: the art of care and repair (2024-25) were she taught a whole primary school community to darn socks. Other exhibitions include Bags (2024) Hweg; Blankets (2024) Salgshallen Galleri; Cheongju Craft Biennale (2023) Cheongju, Korea; ‘Connect. Reveal. Conceal’. Make Hauser & Wirth, London, UK (2023) and  Threads: Breathing stories into materials, Arnolfini, Bristol, UK (2023). Pym is an Associate Lecturer in Textiles at the Royal College of Art and published her first book, ‘On Mending: Stories of Damage and Repair’ in 2023.