Turning into my Gran?

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 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.

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"

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)

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!

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

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?"

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!

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.

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.

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

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...

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!

Sorry, meant Meg54

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!

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)

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

air beds for hours before making them up and never go empty handed when I’m invited to somebody’s home for the first time.. Same here, sometimes our bed gets aired for days on end! Both of my grandmothers were fantastic knitters, a skill I have not inherited, as a child, I used to be spellbound watching one of my grandmothers knit socks with three small needles to turn the heel. Witchcraft

I have a darning egg, used to belong to my grandmother. Some sort of early celluloid, half black and half white, for dark and light wools. An I do know how to darn

I still have a ‘mushroom’, dating from the days when I did actually darn some of dh’s socks, since we were skint and new ones were relatively a lot more expensive than now.

Only he’d usually manage to wear through the darned bit pretty quickly.
I think I learned to darn at Brownies (I use the term loosely - more accurate to say we were shown how we were supposed to do it.)

A dab of clear nail varnish was always useful to stop a ladder in a pair of tights.
But then the tights stuck to your leg ?

I have recently darned a ladder in two pairs of tights. Took me back to younger days and without much money, simply had to make do and mend.
A small ladder in the foot of a pair of tights is no big deal for getting an extra wear or two out of them.
I was chuffed with the result but gave myself a small chuckle of achievement as I put my needle & thread away.

Watched my Gran and Mum darning socks and jumper elbows years ago, but have never followed in their footsteps, as the yarn used for modern socks isn’t really suitable for darning, ie synthetic. Had this conversation with DH this very week when I told him one of his pairs needs to be binned (well, bagged and taken for recycling). I have found the wooden mushroom invaluable for other sewing jobs though, and it’s a lovely reminder of happy childhood days with Mum, taken too soon before I learnt all her marvellous skills.

i didn't have any grans/gramps, so that's my excuse for total ignorance of traditional skills. or any kind really.
my parents never went to each other's home place, never met each other's parents.
and they were departed before i was born.
but really, although i admire these skills, isn't it easier, and so cheap nowadays, to just buy another pair of sox.
i use old ones on hands in bed, where holes don't matter.

I have an inherited darning mushroom, but no idea how to darn!

I took it to a car boot sale, an old chap asked me if I would darn his socks!

It came back home and sits in state in the (unused) sewing box.