How to darn(repair) a Smartwool t-shirt (base layer)

I love my Smartwool microweight t-shirt.  So much so that I have worn it until it got some holes in it.  Its an older, well loved and worn shirt that I think I got my money's worth out of.

Now were this one of my gazillion cotton t-shirts I've collected over the years, I would have thrown it in my wash rag box in my garage.  But this is not one of my cotton t-shirts.  Its is my favorite technical t-shirt that, quite frankly, cost me some serious cash...for a t-shirt.  And while worth every penny (see my review here).  In fairness to the product, I have gotten a fair "lifetime of the product" out of this shirt and don't feel right sending it to Smartwool for a replacement.  I was not about to throw it away, or recycle it without a fight, so I decided to fix it.  

After Googling "how to repair a smartwool sock" I was introduced to the world of darning.  Now if you're not familiar with darning, here is a nice article that shows how to darn a thick, wool sock.  Needless-to-say, doing a thin micro, or even midweight Smartwool base layer piece took some modification to the process, so I decided to post a tutorial for those who live for the truly-tedious.  As a warning, this is something that takes much dexterity, and patience.  It's not something I would expect a lot of people to do, but I do know that outdoor gear junkies are some of the most MacGyver-like folk out there.  So, once your system has been detoxed of all caffeine, you're ready to get started.

STEP 1 - Get the right supplies (Figure 1).  To do this right, I recommend a small embroidery hoop, sharp scissors, a regular sewing needle, and good quality polyester thread.  I chose polyester because its a cheap alternative to wool tread (which is near impossible to find locally) and the polyester thread doesn't hold water like a cotton treaded weave might.  Depending on the weight/thickness of the piece you're repairing, determines the thickness of the thread.  For the micro weight t-shirt, I used standard spooled thread.  For a mid weight piece, I might find a tread/string that's a little thicker.

Figure 1- Note, I used a single-threaded needle technique.  Make sure you hold the short end of the thread when pulling, otherwise the thread will come out

STEP 2 - After securing your t-shirt in the embroidery hoop (don't over stretch the shirt, but make sure its not too loose either), start by taking some running stitches around the hole in the solid part of the fabric. (A running stitch is just "in, out, in, out" with the needle).  I know it may be hard to see in the pictures below since I'm using a tread color that matches the shirt, but if you look closely at the next three pictures, you can see how I encircled the hole with the running stitch.

STEP 3 - Run parallel stitches across the hole, about a needle or two thickness between the strings.  I like to do this along the shorter dimension of the hole.  Also, make sure that you start and stop each parallel stitch outside the running stitch you did in step 2.

STEP 4 - Once you've completed all your parallel rows, now begin to work perpendicular to those rows, weaving in and out of those parallel rows (Figure 2)... like weaving a paper basket, but on a much, much, smaller scale (Figure 3).

Figure 2 - Make sure to do your best job alternating over-and-under each row, but you don't have to be perfect.  You'll do enough weaves to make up for any missed stitches.

Figure 3 - Notice that the rows in this weave pattern is closer than the first set of rows you sewed in STEP 3.  

Figure 4 below shows what the completed weave looks like

Figure 4 - You can see the the weave looks more like a 'net' than a dense t-shirt weave

STEP 5 - Because you have a loose, net-like weave, double and triple back through your pattern (Figure 5) using the net-like weave to support your work.  Again, your over-and-under pattern does not have to be perfect because you'll do enough rows to make up for the occasional missed stitch.

Figure 5 - For added strength I reworked the weave in both directions, perpendicular to each other.  This part also goes much faster than STEP 2 and STEP 3 above as you are building up, and reinforcing the weave pattern.  Keep building up until you get a thickness consistent with the rest of the base layer.

And Voila!  Below is the finished repair.  While not perfect, if you pick the right color, you'll hardly see it, and for me, I didn't even feel it.  Also, if you build up the weave enough, its much stronger than the shirt itself.  I hope this is clear, and if you have any questions, feel free to email me or post them and I'll try to be more clear where I am not.  Good luck!

How to alter TNF eTip gloves

If you have recently tried on, or ordered a pair of TNF eTip gloves, unless your hands are exactly like the fit-model's, you've learned that there is not such thing as a Unisex-one-size-fits-all glove (or anything for that matter).  In my case, I have a wider hand with shorter fingers, so while the length of the fingers of eTIP (size small) are ok, the gloves are way too tight.  The problem with tight gloves is that they cut down on circulation, and thus result in cold hands.  However, while the palm and fingers of the eTIP (size large) is comfortable, the fingers are too long.  So while circulation is not restricted, the longer finger tips decrease dexterity, making simple tasks, like putting keys in your front door, difficult.  So, being a fairly "sewing machine proficient" person, I decided to buy a pair of large gloves and alter the fingers down to size.  The following pictures show the extra fabric that I had to take off.


Before I jump into this, I should note that this alteration is pretty tough.  From start to finish, it took me about 45 to 60 minutes to alter three fingers (the pinky, ring and middle finger) on one glove.  Also, I did not alter the index and thumb as those fingers have the silver fabric, so I didn't want to mess with that.  Also, they weren't too long, or at least as long as the other three fingers.  On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being easy and 5 being very hard, I would rate it as a 4, maybe even a 5.  That said, unless you are a pretty proficient sewer, I'm not sure that this is something you want to take on, but if you are good with a sewing machine, its definitely a doable alteration.

**Doing this will almost certainly void your warranty!

STEP 1 - What makes this a difficult alteration is that the fingertips consist of the four panels of fabric that have are sewn together, the top panel (fingernail side), the bottom panel (finger print side), and two side panels.  Using a seam cutter, cut the seams along the top panel, so it folds away from the side panels, as in Figure 1 below.  BE CAREFUL and don't cut the actual fabric, but the thread of the seam ONLY.


Figure 1 - cutting the glove tip open with seam ripper

Do this also with the bottom panel, but do not cut the seam that joins the two side panels at the very tip of the finger.  Figure 2 shows both top and bottom panels with the seams cut, and peeled back away from the side panels.

Figure 2 - Seams of top and bottom panel are cut, at this point you're done with the seam cutter.

STEP 2 - Turn the glove fingers inside out, as most sewing is done inside out.  First, you shorten the entire finger by resewing a new seam on the side panels (parallel to the old seam) to the new length you want your fingers (Figure 3).  I sewed it back about 1/4 to 1/2 inch, closer to 1/2 inch

Figure 3 - Shorten the finger by sewing the side seam.  I did two passes, one forward, and one backwards for added strength.

Next, cut the excess fabric, to the outside of the new seam (Figure 4).  You will be cutting off the old seam of course.

Figure 4 - cut off excess fabric on side panels

STEP 3 - Depending on how much you shorten your glove finger, cut off the excess fabric from the top  panel and bottom panels so that they match up with the new finger length (Figure 5).  Figure 6 shows the crescent like shape of the excess glove tip.

Figure 5 - the top and bottom panels have been resized and are ready to be sewn together.

Figure 6 - The excess fabric of the top and bottom panels

STEP 4 - Hand sewing.  This step is optional if you are really, really good with a sewing machine OR, this could be your last step if you are really good at hand sewing...but to be safe, I first hand stitched the top and bottom panels to the side panels with a needle and tread (Figure 7) using a single thread (not doubled up). This is essentially the same as "pinning" together two panels of fabric before sewing with a machine, but the area is way too small for pins to fit.

Figure 7 - The hand stitch will help keep the proper form of the finger when I sew with the machine.

STEP 5 - Resew, along the hand stitched seam with a sewing machine (Figure 8).  I'm not gonna say much as this is something that you have to figure out, as this tutorial assumes you're proficient with a sewing machine.  Also, if you don't have a sewing machine, and do a tight hand stitch in STEP 4, you could probably skip this step.  Figure 9 has shows the finished product.  Don't forget to snip all the extra string ends.

Figure 8 - Sew with the sewing machine.  This is actually what took me the longest as you're sewing tight curves in a small area, where 4 panels of fabric come together.

Figure 9 - Done sewing.  Just snip all the string ends before turning the fingers right-side-out.

STEP 6 - Turn the gloves fingers right side out, and try them on for size.  Hopefully got it right the first time...  Here's what the fingers look like after the alteration.

As for the fit?  Here is the before picture:

Here is the after picture:

Finally, all the steps above were for the middle and ring finger only.  When altering the pinky finger, it was much faster.  After turning the pinky finger inside out, I just sewed the tip across to the length I wanted and cut the extra fabric away.  

Smartwool T-Shirt (Microweight) Review

Worth every penny, if... you are a true outdoor enthusiast that does not mind spending some coin for great comfort.  Bottom line:  True to size for a form fitting base layer, but size up if you like a loose fit.  If you have sensitive skin and usually wear soft cotton you'll notice, but it is unparalleled in technical comfort.

Extended review:
First, the fit.  Smartwool's Microweight merino wool T-shirt is  trim, and body hugging, which is perfect for a base layer.  If you work out, like the guy modeling it in their website, it'll be flattering.  If you're like the other 99% of us, it'll show every bump and lump.

Next the feel.  This really is T-shirt weight and were it not for the label saying its 100% wool, you would never guess that.  While not the scratchy, itchy, wool from the sweater your grandma knitted you, this shirt isn't Egyptian cotton either.  To be fair, its wool, and comfortable next to the skin...for wool.  However, its not even close to being as soft as my graphic t-shirts from more fashion-oriented retailers (i.e - Express or Banana Republic).  Not being critical, just being real.

BUT, compared to my everyday graphic T's, this shirt trounces in technical performance.  Actually, there is no comparison.  I bought two of these (blue and green) over a year ago and have worn them as a base layer while boarding in Utah POW, and as T-shirt in Liberia Africa in their rainy season (still 90F+ with humidity like no other).  In both extreme contexts, this shirt performed amazing well.  In cold, wintry Utah, it was warm, and did its job wicking sweat away as I tromped through back country flats.  Never felt clammy.  In Africa, I slept in this, sweat in this, and got rained on in this.  It always felt cool, dried quickly, and never stank.  Amazing really.  In between trips, I wore this to the gym, layered under dress shirts for style (and comfort), etc, very versatile.

My only concern is durability.  As I said, I bought two shirts.  One shirt got a small run in it right by my belly button within a few months.  That one went back for warranty.  The other one, over the year, and with extended wear, got holes and runs in the arm pit area.  This one I'm not sending back because I really did wear it hard (because I loved it so much) and for sure got my money's worth for what I believe was a fair "lifetime of the product."  (I did darn the holes to extend the life a bit.)

I wish I could afford a dozen of these in as many colors as they make, but I can't.  That said, they are the perfect gift, for the outdoor enthusiast that has "everything" or at least thinks they have everything--until they get one of these.

Aglove Grip Touch (2012-13)

New for this 2012 season is the Aglove Grip Touch (Retail $29.99 at www.aglove.com) - The material is an acrylic/silver yarn combination with 15% silver/acrylic nylon blend.  Like the Sport model, the Aglove Grip Touch comes in black with silver speckles only.


Like its predecessors, the ENTIRE glove is made with the conductive material, so that means that you can use all 10 fingers on your device.  In look, and thickness of material, the Grip Touch seems nearly identical to my pair of Aglove Sports with the notable exception of small, rubber, grip dots on the palm and fingers, making the Grip Touch hand specific (right and left).


An important functional detail is that the grip dots are not on the upper third of fingers (ie - finger tip areas) giving a smooth, gliding touch to the screen.



Since my iphone has a case with a silicone rubber case (otterbox defender) I never really noticed how slippery the Aglove sport was when using just a "bare" iphone.  Its pretty slippery, and if you don't have a case, you'll really like the grip of the Grip Touch, and definitely worth the extra cash for the security of your $500 iphone (replacement cost) not slipping out of your hands.  Also, opening doors, holding the steering wheel, and any other smooth object is much...more secure feeling.

As for usability, the Grip Touch excels.  For this year, I've added a new usability test (see Touchscreen glove shootout).  In order to the test the sensitivity of the Grip Touch when compared to bare fingers (and other gloves) I did the following with my iphone.  From the home screen:

Hit 'clock' icon > start stopwatch at 0:00 > hit 'home' button > hit 'notepad' icon > type the entire Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme > hit 'home' button > Hit 'clock' icon > stop the stopwatch

Multiple trials were done and the times averaged.  Here are the results, from best to worst:

- With bare fingers (using thumbs only) was an average time of 1 min and 6 seconds.
- With the Grip Touch (using thumbs only) was an average time of 1 min and 12 seconds.  (Note: times with the year old Aglove Sport were nearly identical to the brand new Grip Touch showing very little, if any degradation from time and wear).
- With brand new TNF eTip gloves (using thumbs only) was an average time of 1 min and 20 seconds.
- With year old iTap gloves was an average time of 1 min and 40 seconds (Note:  I suspect that brand new iTap gloves would have scored better as there is a noticeable decrease in sensitivity of these gloves.)

Bottom line:  Like all the other Aglove products, the Grip Touch has excellent fit, and touch screen sensitivity.  While pushing the $30 mark, the added Grip Touch make these gloves much more functional, without compromising touch screen sensitivity, making the added cost, in my opinion worth it.