If you have ever wanted to make a textured cushion or wall hanging but found knitting too slow and embroidery too fiddly, punch needle is the craft you have been looking for.
You push a hollow needle through fabric, it leaves a loop of yarn behind, and you do it again. That is the whole technique. Rows of loops build into a thick, soft pile like a tiny rug, and a cushion front can be finished in a weekend.
See how it works
Video: DMC
The three things you need
A punch needle
The hollow tool that carries the yarn. Its size has to match the thickness of your yarn.
The right fabric
A firm, open weave that grips each loop. Ordinary cotton is too tight and lets the loops slide out.
A tight frame or hoop
The fabric must be stretched as tight as a drum, or the needle will not punch cleanly.
Choosing your punch needle
Best for chunky yarn projects
DMC punch needle
KES 3,000
A comfortable wooden handle that sits in the hand like a thick pen, so you can punch for an hour without your fingers aching. It takes yarn up to about 4 mm thick, which covers fabric quickly and gives that plush, rug-like finish.
Size 10 · Wooden handle · Threader included
See the DMC punch needle
German-made alternative
Prym punch needle
KES 4,300
Prym's take on the same tool, built with the engineering the brand is known for. If you already trust Prym for your sewing notions, this is the punch needle to match.
See the Prym punch needleThe easiest start is a kit
A kit gives you the printed fabric, the yarn and the instructions together, so the needle, yarn and fabric are already matched. Our punch needle kits start from KES 4,700.
Why loops fall out, and how to stop it
Nearly every beginner has the same problem in the first ten minutes: the loops pull out as fast as they go in. It is always one of these four things.
Keep the yarn completely slack. If it catches on anything, even your own hand, it drags the last loop back out.
Push the needle all the way down to the handle on every punch, so each loop is the same height.
Lift the needle only just clear of the fabric before moving on. Lift it high and you pull the loop with it.
Keep the open, slanted side of the needle facing the direction you are travelling.
You work from the back of the fabric, so the flat stitches face you and the loops form underneath. Either side can be the front of your finished piece.
Try the needle in your hand first
Visit our shop on the 1st floor of Sarit Centre and we will help you match a needle to the yarn you want to use.
Shop punch needle kitsOr call us on +254 798 316860
In Stitches is the authorised DMC and Prym distributor in Kenya.
Prices correct at the time of writing.
