Turning into my Gran?

I still have a silver thimble that my grandmother aged 10 (1896) won as a school prize for sewing. Although I have never used a thimble, it sits in my sewing basket and I always remember how she spoke so fondly of her teacher whose name was Miss Dale and came from the Scilly Isles. She was certainly an excellent teacher if my grandmother was typical of her pupils.

I've recently been doing quite a bit of darning because my friend has some knitted slippers that she really loves, had worn holes in them, but wouldn't throw them away. She knows I do a lot of sewing and knitting do asked me to mend them. I have knitted her a new pair of slippers, but she still wears the old ones.

I have the mushroom and thimble from my mother and still use them for my 3DDs and GC.
However I remember another gadget to mend holes that was made of metal, an inch or so long with sort of needles on two levels. The top layer was woven with the wool and then a lever was pushed to be able to weave in the lower level giving a very professional look. Does anyone else remember this?

I have my maternal granny's silver thimble. It's too small for my fingers, but as I rarely sew, it doesn't really matter. She did lovely embroidery and did try to teach me. I once made a 'hostess' apron at school and the teacher told us to insert a 'richly embroidered' panel. I did try...
The other granny was a non-stop knitter who knitted socks for the troops during the war. So I have taken after her, and my aunt, and my mum. As for darning, my sewing teacher gave me 3/10 for that - or it might have been for a buttonhole, but you get the picture!

Urmstongran

Not me, but Himself mentioned the other day he’d not had ‘cabbage and ribs’ for 50 years (since he married me I suppose) that his gran used to make in a big pan on the hob. Said the meat ‘fell off the bones’.

Poor neglected man.
I’m a mean woman.

Ooh cabbage and ribs, bit had that for years! I did ask at our butchers a while back and they said they do have them in the freezer if I ever wanted them. ?

My Mum used to have a darning mushroom, she was so good at darning,I wish I had kept the mushroom, not that I would use it but to remind me of my Mum when she darned, bless her.

My Dd never learnt to sew at school or at home.

So whenever she needs something mended, she asks me to do it.

I don’t mind, as I quite like getting a needle and thread out.
I used to do patchwork sewing years ago and always enjoyed it.

Chrissyoh,I am a scouser too I havent heard of pastry being in a Scouse, its meat and veg then served with beetroot, delicious,I suppose the pastry was more filling and went a long way.Im getting hungry now!

My mother made all my and my sisters dresses and we loved going to the shop to choose the material. Fourpence halfpenny a yard or sixpence a yard for special dresses. We used to unpick wooden jumpers and cardigans and reknit or retro net them. Socks and stockings were darned. We were a fairly wealthy family.
When my children were little it was necessary to have coupons to buy clothes so everything was hand made. When I was teaching my daughter how to knit for her Brownie badge my husband was interested. The first thing he knitted was a layette for his sisters baby and after he made all his pullovers and socks. Those were the days.

I have a mushroom. I bought it years ago and used it to darn a sock quite recently

If my mum couldn’t find her darning mushroom she would use a lightbulb.

Urmstongran

Not me, but Himself mentioned the other day he’d not had ‘cabbage and ribs’ for 50 years (since he married me I suppose) that his gran used to make in a big pan on the hob. Said the meat ‘fell off the bones’.

Poor neglected man.
I’m a mean woman.

He’s not neglected and you’re not mean. Get bacon ribs from your local butcher (I’ve never seen them in a supermarket, so wouldn’t even try). Soak them in cold water for about an hour before cooking and it really is what he said - you leave them to cook until the meat falls off the bone. To be traditional the cabbage was cooked in the liquor from the ribs, but I tend to cook it quickly in fresh water as I do normally and serve the ribs with the cooked cabbage, a baked potato and some mustard sauce - made with a butter and flour roux, then some milk mixed 50/50 with the cooking liquor from the ribs, a bit of cream if you have it, a good spoonful of English mustard and seasoned to taste. Fab.

I have my wonderful grandmother's darning egg. I have displayed it ever since I've had it. My grandmother was very artistic with sewing, embroidery, lace tatting, crochet, knitting, rug hooking. Plus, she made the best chocolate chip cookies ever. I miss her.

Nannina

As a student nurse 50 years ago we had to wear particular stockings as part of a strict uniform policy. The only place to get them was Cole Brothers which later became John Lewis. They were in pale grey shade, expensive and were soon laddered by unforgiving hospital equipment. I became very popular as my waist length blonde hair made the ladder repair almost invisible. We’d have been straight in front of matron if we appeared with a ladder and carpeted for even a hint of nail varnish ?

Having been born with Spina Bifida I spent most of the first 15 years of my life in hospital. Your post brought back lovely memories of the dedicated nurses who made life comfortable and fun for those long stays after surgeries. I spent a good deal of my childhood in Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool and I remember how strict things were. The nurses had to be in full uniform with a clean apron over the dress every day, cap in place and a cape worn when going on or off duty. I remember lights being snapped on at 6am every morning and the smell of toast being prepared for breakfast, bedlinen being changed every day and beds pulled out into the middle of the ward every day for cleaning, meals being served from big metal trolleys, and the staff practically standing to attention when the consultants did a ward round !! I also remember listening in horror at one nurse being carpeted by the ward sister for going off the hospital grounds in uniform and told she was irresponsible for risking bringing infection back into the hospital as a result. How things have changed.

Joesoap

Chrissyoh,I am a scouser too I havent heard of pastry being in a Scouse, its meat and veg then served with beetroot, delicious,I suppose the pastry was more filling and went a long way.Im getting hungry now!

I’m from Liverpool originally and I make scouse with lamb neck (I think it used to be called scrag end) or breast of lamb, onions, celery, carrots and swede with roughly cut floury potatoes - and a tablespoon of barley. Lob scouse was made without meat - usually by boiling a lamb bone after it had been used for the roast on Sunday and whatever it was used for the next day, then adding the veg to the broth. I’ve heard of scouse pie, but more usually, to make it go further the scouse was served on a slice of bread to soak up the gravy.

I remember scouse served with pickled beetroot and also with piccalilli. Yum.

You are wonderful!!!love your post!!

My wife inherited a darning mushroom years ago and since we’ve had the Gc, the eldest being 11yrs, my wife must have used it every month

I have a darning mushroom. Not used it. I have turned two collars on otherwise perfectly good shirts. Made my own clothes when younger and knitted my own cardigans. Crocheted a dress for my baby daughter. All these crafts taught by my mother.

My DD, now 50, told me that she's turning into me! All the things that I used to say to them, as children, she now finds herself saying to her teenagers.
It was my job to darn my Dad's woollen work socks, from quite an early age. Heaven help me if they turned out lumpy, too. I don't darn socks any more, but recently I made a good job of my son's favourite jumper, which was getting thin on the elbows. I don't know what happened to Mum's wooden mushroom, though. My sister probably asked her for it, as she did with many other things.

Whenever we have a chicken for Sunday lunch, on Day 3 or 4, the carcass goes in a huge pan and with veg, lentils and fluffy dumplings it makes a heart-warming dinner. We call it a broth. A couple of years ago I met two cousins from New Zealand who were born in the UK and we all discovered we made the same trifle that our gran used to make!

I can darn, knit and crochet thanks to my gran. I'm okay at embroidery too. All dying arts.

I only had one granny and I don't think she darned!
I have a darning mushroom and used it to darn the elbows on my husbands jumpers and socks when we were first married 47 years ago. However I couldn't get the darning wool anymore so stopped ! Can you still buy darning wool?

I do darn and have a mushroom, my 39 year old son also recently darned his cashmere jumper bought from a charity shop years ago. I make lots of things my mum and gran made, leek and cheese on toast, scotch pancakes, bacon ribs and cabbage, neck of lamb stew. I would darn socks if they were decent ones. Very disappointed with the quality of Marks clothing these days!

Pammie1

Joesoap

Chrissyoh,I am a scouser too I havent heard of pastry being in a Scouse, its meat and veg then served with beetroot, delicious,I suppose the pastry was more filling and went a long way.Im getting hungry now!

I’m from Liverpool originally and I make scouse with lamb neck (I think it used to be called scrag end) or breast of lamb, onions, celery, carrots and swede with roughly cut floury potatoes - and a tablespoon of barley. Lob scouse was made without meat - usually by boiling a lamb bone after it had been used for the roast on Sunday and whatever it was used for the next day, then adding the veg to the broth. I’ve heard of scouse pie, but more usually, to make it go further the scouse was served on a slice of bread to soak up the gravy.

I had no idea 'scouse' was actually a meal- thanks for this.

Kali2
? Yes - I make Scouse - I eat Scouse - & I’m a Scouser .