Best darning needles

Top pick: Clover Chibi Darning Needle Set (bent tip). Clover's needles are smooth, well-polished steel with a blunt rounded tip that slides between yarn plies instead of splitting them, and the bent shape makes it easy to catch the fabric underneath a sock heel. It comes in a little screw-cap case, so the needles don't vanish into the sofa.

Who the others suit:

• Dritz Yarn Darners (7-piece, sizes 14–18): the classic straight darners in a range of sizes — best if you mend both fine socks and chunky knits.
• Clover Darning Needle Set (No. 13, 17, 20): straight needles in three sizes, for anyone who prefers a straight darner but wants Clover quality.
• Lion Brand large-eye blunt needles: big eyes that take thick yarn easily — the pick for darning sweaters and wool socks with worsted-weight yarn.
• Tulip tapestry needles: rounded tips and generous eyes, good for knitters darning knits and weaving in ends.
• DMC Darners (size 1/5, 10-pack): fine, sharp-ish darners for thin sock yarn and delicate knits.
• Assorted specialty set: a cheap way to try several shapes before committing.

Whichever you choose, blunt tips are what you want for darning — sharp needles split the yarn and leave holes.