If you've never sewn before and need a confidence-builder, practice the motion of these stitches on a clean rag--before you get a sock involved.

2torial #0632: Learn2 Darn a Sock (Continued) Understand basic sewing   To darn a sock you only need to sew one type of stitch, the running stitch. Since you sew it two different ways, however, it looks a little different. Here's the difference:   The running stitch, surround-style: Picture an earthworm (a venemous snake, if you prefer) that wiggles through the earth, breaking through to the air and diving down into the dirt. That's what the needle will do, except it'll move through the surface of the sock fabric instead of the ground. Basically, you would hold the needle above the fabric, and pierce it. Then you'd push the needle under the surface of the fabric, but not too far. Next, you'd pick a spot about 1/8th inch (3 mm) from the first insertion point, and push the needle up through the surface of the fabric. And that's it--you've made your first stitch. To continue, pierce the fabric an 1/8 inch (3mm) further away, continuing the up and down motion.   The running stitch, weaving-style: This is the actual mending structure in the darning process. It's a continous line of thread that moves over and under, piercing the sock fabric at even intervals of 1/8th inch or so (3mm) as your needle steers the thread through the sock. Step 4