Small, hard tool making holes in woollen cloth (5)
I believe the answer is:
shawl
'holes in woollen cloth' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'small hard tool' is the wordplay.
'small' becomes 's' (abbreviation - e.g. clothes size).
'hard' becomes 'h' (abbreviation used in pencil classifications).
'tool' becomes 'awl' (awl is a kind of tool).
's'+'h'+'awl'='SHAWL'
'making' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for shawl that I've seen before include "Neck warmer" , "Wrap or scarf" , "Stole or wrap" , "Woman assumes this" , "Woman's wrap" .)