Turning into my Gran?

Witzend, I too remember being taught to darn at Brownies, good grief! And getting badges for things like setting a table.

I have had a hacking cough for the last few days and swear I can hear the exact tones of my nan when I go into spasm, though why I should when she was a twenty a day Woodbines girl whereas I've never smoked in my life is a bit of a mystery. I am a good darner though and still have her sewing box - CWS assorted biscuit tin circa 1956 - and her silver thimble. Great thread Witzend (no pun intended)

Poor mum used to sit on a Sunday afternoon darning dads socks. Trouble was he worked in a sand pit so she used to get covered in sand from the socks even though they were washed!
I can remember on a sunny Sunday afternoon mum sat in the sun with her sewing basket doing socks in the garden!

Sorry, meant Meg54

Taught at school to knit socks using 3 needles, never done it since. Did use darning mushroom a few days ago when trying to sew neck band back on to cardigan where it had come away, not greatly successful but it will do!

I used to write letters to my gran addressing her as Dear Grumphy. What I didn't know, and my mum didn't tell me...was that it was not her name. My grandad called her 'Grumphy' because she was so hot tempered and nagged him all the time. Yes, you've guessed it. I have become my gran instead of my lovely sweet natured mum... I can hear myself nagging my (lovely sweet natured) DH and can't seem to stop it no matter how hard I try...

My mother aquired my grandmother's sewing stuff and it was then passed down to me. So, I am well prepared to become my grandmother

Meg54, I too have mended M &S socks ("darning" would be overstating my codge-job of stitching). I use an old wooden darning-mushroom which I've had for decades; I can't remember its source. The "stalk" and the round (red) top, can pull apart, for easy storage.

I have an inherited darning mushroom. The last thing I darned were the elbows of a favourite cardigan. I did them in a contrasting colour and I was quite pleased with the result.

I think there has always been a bit of my maternal grandmother in me! I never knew her that well as we lived very far away and due to the seemingly insurmountable distance in those days did not visit often. My mother,however,told me so much about her, how she would bake, make jams etc and sew and darn for the family. My mother did not do any of those things herself really, although she was a great, self taught, cook as my gran did not like anyone else ‘messing about in the kitchen’ with her (my mum was just the same!). However over the years I have taught myself to cook, make jams and chutneys, garden, sew and darn. I have always been ‘careful’,I think, as never blessed with a generous income! I love to repurpose and recycle as my gran did and it has always been part of my life! So yes,I would hope that there is a bit of my gran in me!

My grandson announced that he was going to the loo. I immediately came out with one of my late father's quips: "send us a postcard".
My grandson said: "What's a postcard?"

Ps. I also have a wooden darning mushroom and I'm not afraid to use it!!

Never heard of a darning mushroom! I will go and look it up on Mr Google.....

I wonder if this is a skill that can be acquired in old age as I begrudge throwing away Mr C's socks after what only seems like a few wears (although to be fair to the socks, he does have toe nails that could be used as weapons)?

I also used a dab of clear nail varnish on a ladder in a pair of tights - worked well - until they needed to be taken off and then ouch!

My DH has kept a sock that his late DM darned for him, must have been in the 60s.
It's a very impressive piece of work, done with a darning mushroom.
She loved needlework but I have sausages instead of fingers. In the past I've had to firmly shut down any hints that I might like to try darning too. (As if)

Your talk of darning mushrooms brought back so many memories for me. Thank you.

I had an Irish grandmother. I don't darn things like she did, but I do use some of her expressions such as "He was as Irish as the pigs in Drogheda! " and "I'm easy, like Paddy with the rent"

I was taught how to darn but have never seen the need. I never had a gran maybe that's why. I do find myself saying things that my mum used to say. My daughter is frequently telling me I sound like my mum. She was a very active woman well into her eighties.

GillT57

Witzend, I too remember being taught to darn at Brownies, good grief! And getting badges for things like setting a table.

I actually stopped going to Brownies because I hated the knitting - only garter stitch squares, but I was so slow, messy and rubbish at it.

A few weeks after I’d stopped going, a very ‘perfect’, girl from the same form at school came up and said in somewhat smug, ‘typical of you’ tones, ‘Brown Owl wants her red wool back.’ ?

Can’t remember whether I did ever give it back - I’d probably chucked the whole despised thing - except for the needles - I dare say they were from home.

I am rubbish at sewing, knitting, darning and anything else that involves a needle.
However, I turn into my much loved maternal grandmother every year, because like her, I have a garden; and like her I preserve all I can of our excess fruit and vegetables. Some of these go in the freezer - some I have taken (when they would be welcome) to the local food bank; but so far there has always been enough left over for blackcurrant and raspberry jams, apple and runner bean chutneys.
Pre Covid, I offered a few jars to a visiting cousin to take home. She is ten years my junior, and sneered at the idea of anyone wasting their time doing such a thing these days, especially when the resulting product involves poison (sorry, sugar).
Fortunately for my self esteem, my son is of a different opinion when he visits; as have been our friends next door who keep an eye on the house whenever we are away (not often lately, I admit). Also, the new neighbours, who have been glad of a welcome.
My grandmother taught me these things. I still miss her.

And yes, like her, I am a member of the W.I.!

I, also, inherited my grandmother's darning mushroom (which I have used). I refuse to darn DH's socks any more because the whole sole of the sock gets thin and he has had me darning the darns!! Incidentally I also inherited her buttons.

I don’t know about my gran, but sometimes I’m doing things like my mum, shock, horror ;) after all these years I’ve been thinking I’m never going to be like her..

I have turned into my gran too. My memory of her is seeing her knitting and the knitting bag at the side of her chair. I now knit and my bag is at the side of the sofa!

I would be honoured to turn into either of my Grans, both honest, hard working, kind and brave.Wish I could be half the person they were.

Just yesterday I noticed that the socks my husband was wearing had a hole in them. I have a darning mushroom and was going to practice my best Brownie darning but he insisted on throwing them away!

I have a new darning mushroom DH made me on his lathe last year. My old one got damp and turned mouldy!

Lots of Grannie and Great-Aunt moments here, like waiting to light the fire til late afternoon, just like my Aunt Isa used to do to save on fuel.

About 3 summers ago we had a glut of plums. I remembered that my granny used to bottle plums so I bought kilner jars and successfully bottled enough to last a year. I was proud to learn a skill which had skipped a generation as my mother, who was an excellent cook, never bottled fruit.