Visible Mending with Recycled Cashmere

Last year, a small parcel arrived at my studio. Inside were four of the softest cashmere jumpers I’ve ever held - buttery, light, and well-loved. Along with them came a simple request: please repair them visibly.

While I believe every repair is important, visible repairs bring me the most joy. They highlight wear and add character to a cherished garment. They feel like a gentle act of rebellion against the fast fashion mindset and a statement of care, value, and intention.

There was one challenge for these commission repairs. I wanted to use complementary, joyful colours as well as more muted ones that would enhance and celebrate the repairs without losing that cosy softness of a cashmere piece.

Reclaiming What Already Exists

That’s when I found Second Cashmere, a sustainable brand reclaiming cashmere from discarded cashmere pieces and transforming it into new yarns for darning. It’s a zero-waste solution!

Instead of allowing precious fibres to head to landfill, they recover, respin, and reimagine them. The result is reclaimed cashmere yarns that help other garments have a second life. I fell in love not just with the yarns and their rich, nuanced colours, but with their ethos. As sustainable small businesses, we share the same values: advocating mend over replacement, reusing already existing precious resources, and keeping garments in wardrobes and out of landfill.

Cashmere is a precious, renewable fibre. Caring for and reusing it reduces waste, conserves the water and energy used in production, helps protect ecosystems, and honours the craftsmanship behind every original garment. When we choose to repair cashmere with cashmere, we’re closing a cycle rather than breaking it.

For those four jumpers, I began to play with colour. The key with visible mending is a balanced contrast. You want the repair to be seen, but you also want it to blend in naturally. It should feel intentional. By the end, I was stunned by the texture of the repairs, they felt as soft as the original cashmere garments. 

You can watch video tutorials of my repairs on Instagram:

• Vintage Bottega Veneta repair: part one and part two
• Brick wall darning pattern tutorial
• Basic grid mending tutorial with Second Cashmere

Collaboration and Cashmere Kits

A few months and more repairs later, I reached out to the founders of Second Cashmere. What began as admiration grew into collaboration, and I launched my Cashmere Repair Kits featuring their gorgeous reclaimed yarns last winter. These kits hold everything you need to repair and care for your delicate cashmere garments. 

A selection of Second Cashmere yarns are now also available individually on my website to choose your own preferred colour combinations to cover a tiny moth hole or a well-worn elbow.

Colour Combination Inspiration

If you’re wondering how to pair shades for your own cashmere repairs, here are some combinations I love:

• Cobalt works beautifully against earthy brown, bold and grounding at the same time.
• Velvet green paired with candy pink or lilac creates a playful feel.
• Mustard with cobalt is a vibrant and bold combination.
• Earthy brown softens when sparked with candy pink or lilac. Lilac and mustard together feel calm yet rich in colour.