Darn It! Reskilling Workshop with Zero Waste Sooke

Tired of holey socks and sweaters? Looking for an opportunity to increase your skills, help the planet, and give new life to your old clothes?

Textile and clothing waste is a serious and increasing problem. Around the world, people are buying more, throwing out more, and repairing less. Because of this alarming trend, the amount of clothing waste in landfills continues to rise.

Luckily, you can learn how to help out. On 23 May, the Sooke Region Museum is hosting Darn It!, a collaboration with Zero Waste Sooke. A team of darning experts, including Paula Johanson, Anne Boquist, Gillian Gravenor, and Emily Trim, will teach you how to darn holes in your damaged clothing. No experience is necessary—all you need to bring is the item to be darned, some yarn that’s compatible with it in width and type, a darning needle and/or crochet hook, and a darning mushroom, darning egg, incandescent lightbulb, or small glass jar. (Wooden darning eggs and mushrooms can be purchased for this workshop as an option.)

This is the first of two “reskilling” workshops presented by the Sooke Region Museum and Zero Waste Sooke. These workshops aim to teach historically rooted skills and show their continued importance in building an environmentally sustainable present. They fuse the two host organizations’ respective focuses: the Museum is committed to inspiring an appreciation of our past and its relevance to our present and future, while Zero Waste Sooke is dedicated to a clean(er), green(er), region that reduces its ecological footprint in common sense and practical ways.

At Darn It!, you’ll learn a fun and useful skill passed down through generations, all while restoring your garments and keeping them out of the landfill.

Registration for each reskilling workshop costs $15 and is limited to 15 people – so register soon to get your spot! If the registration fee is a barrier to you participating in the reskilling workshops, contact the Museum (250-642-6351 or info@sookeregionmuseum.ca) and we can reduce or waive the fee. If you are able to pay a bit more for registration, you will have the option at checkout to donate money to these reskilling workshops to remove financial barriers for others.