Rodrigue has a favourite old wool jacket that’s full of holes, from regular wear and moths, and during the pandemic lockdown, I ordered a “speedweve” type mending loom— but never used it.

These little looms were originally sold in the 1940s, and now they’re plentiful on Etsy. They’re fairly simple to use, and allow you to weave a small patch directly onto a piece of clothing to conceal a hole.

I got some darning yarn in compatible colours from a local knitting store, and got to work, using the project as a chance to practice some basic weaving patterns.

At the outset of this venture, we identified three holes that needed mending, but by the time I was done, I’d made 11 patches. The more acquainted I became with the jacket, the more worn spots I found.

The patches are messy in spots– sometimes unavoidable because near the seams, the fabric was too bulky and would slip off the loom. But I’m overall satisfied with the finished look of the jacket, and I learned a lot while doing it– including that sometimes it’s easier to just weave directly onto the garment, setting aside the loom.

Most importantly, we’ve saved a beloved jacket from the landfill, and I’ve reignited my mending habit, which is definitely going to serve us, in this time of an impending trade war.

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I don’t think Slovenia is especially known for its gophers? They do have an adorably invasive critter that’s like a tiny beaver without the big tail, but as implied— not native to Slovenia, and not what this was.

Anyway, when we got them home and out of the packaging (the mats, not the wee beavers) we discovered it was just placemat. Singular. Both pieces were stitched together, back-to-back. Why? I don’t get it. I separated them, and then let them languish in my mending pile…

Until yesterday! Using what I think is probably a sturdy poly-cotton blend, from some old curtains I thrifted, I finally gave the mats a proper backing. One became two again, and now we can eat breakfast as it was always intended: off the face of a photoshopped alpine gopher, while a cow supervises, unmoved. (Unmooed?)

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