Darning Eggs
Bea
I wonder if anyone knows a source for a darning egg. My mother had a
wooden one with a handle many, many years ago which has since
disappeared. My husband wears socks from Land's End because4 he really
likes them. I hate to turn them into rags because of a hole in the toe
because their not exactly cheap. I've tried to think of things around
the house I could use but none of them are the right shape,size. Even
if I can't get the darning egg, any suggestions for substitutes would be
great.
Thanks, Bea
Liz / Cozit
carry a solid wooden egg about the same size as my grandmother's in their
wood crafts section.
-Liz
Liz / Cozit
was used as a darning egg... a dried gourd.. handle and all (there's been
at least one or two in the Hands on History Room at the Smithsonian for
years now... so I know that they can be found... and they are pretty durable
if no one drops things on them, or bangs them hard like drumsticks on
something harder).
-Liz
Sheena Mackenzie
posts, stair railings etc. Some of those would make great darning eggs.
Don't get treated wood though. I found one recently in a yard sale, person
selling it didn't even know what it was! It was a mushroom rather than an
egg, the stalk unscrews and you could put your darning needles in them. I
scooped that up (fifty cents) for my old workbox! Sheena
Elizabeth
Check eBay. Just do a search on "darning egg". I found several, most
reasonably priced. You can also check your local antique stores.
HTH
Elizabeth
WIPs: "The Gift of a Friend" -Maureen Appleton;
JCS 2000 Christmas Ornaments;
"Cranberry Sampler" -Darlene O'Steen;
"Breast Cancer Ribbon" x2 is now a permanent UFO. I give up.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Elbg23
if I can't get the darning egg, any suggestions for substitutes would be
great. >>
If you can wait until Easter, what about one of the plastic eggs that are used
to put goodies in? Betty
Bea
You're a genius! I didn't even know you could get wooden eggs at Michaels or
Joanne's. I just called my local Michaels and they have "hen" or "goose" eggs.
I'll have to go take a look at the sizes. I also like your goard idea too.
They were in all the grocery stores before Thanksgiving but I can't remember if
they still have them. May pick up one of those the next time I go grocery
shopping and keep it on hand if I really want one with a handle. Thanks, Bea
Bea
Thanks, I never thought of a finial. I'll have to look the next time my DH
gets the urge to "window shop" at Home Base. Looks like I may end up with 2 or
3 improvised darning eggs. Thanks for the great suggestion. Bea
Romilly
news:3A3128E9...@home.com...
> Hi again,
> I wonder if anyone knows a source for a darning egg. My mother had a
> wooden one with a handle many, many years ago which has since
Strangely enough, Bea, I just bought one at a local antiques store. Cost:
$3.00 Cheap at twice the price... You might check your local antique
dealers, your local second-hand shops. Some of them aren't really antique,
and the price shows it. :)
--
~G. Romilly Goodfellow
Cat hair? What cat hair? That's creative use of specialty fibers...
Kim Brown
>
> Hi again,
> I wonder if anyone knows a source for a darning egg.
> Thanks, Bea
Hah! G'day again, Bea! I just responded to your post over at the sewing
ng! LOL!
I had another idea! Go to your local technical college (or whatever
they're called in your neck of the woods: the place where carpenters and
joiners learn their trade) and ask if they could possibly make you one!
Anyone who has a wood lathe could knock one up in seconds and I bet any
teacher worth his salt would be glad to set his class such an exercise.
Years ago, I wanted to make a domed lidded box out of leather. At the
time, Mum was in the process of getting my Nanna's very old furniture
restored. When we delivered it to the old chappie who was doing the job,
I saw that he had a lathe. I sidled up and said 'Could you possibly...?)
A few minutes later, I had a lovely dome-form, about as big as my head
(which is large!)
For those who are interested, you wet the leather (3mm stiff calf) and
stretch it tightly over the dome. You tack it down with cobbler's tacks
and then you get to work with your Mother's biggest tablespoon,
squashing and smoothing all the hefty wrinkles out. In between sessions,
you keep the leather warm and moist to ensure that the fibres stay all
swelled up.
Each wrinkle was about 1cm deep and 1cm thick. It took me two weeks to
smooth it all down to a glass-shiny smooth surface! Then, you trim the
ends and apply a long strip of belt leather all round. I secured mine
with studs I had left over from making pig-dog collars. I ended up with
the neatest round box and a perfectly-fitting domed lid! I stained it in
a lovely deep red cordovan colour.
Not long after, DS found the lid fitted his head perfectly too! It ended
its life as his 'Siegfried hat'. And no, I was *not* prepared to insert
horns of any description into it! Mum still has it somewhere.
Oh, and while we're on the subject of hats (which we weren't, but we
appear to be now)!
I also made myself a hat to wear to horse shows. It, too, was made of
3mm calf (can you guess the obvious problem here?) In fact, I'm lookin'
at it right now, as it hangs decoratively on the wall in our 'puter
room. It's just a sort of 'cowboy' hat, only in the more Oz style with a
shallower crown and turned down in front. All the seams (top to crown,
crown to brim and edge of brim) are laced in triple-loop cordoban stitch
(fancy kind of blanket stitching, which you do with leather thonging)
and the hat is a lovely reddish colour (same cordovan dye used for
box-lid). I carved and tooled a scene of owls sitting in a tree-hole at
the front of the crown. There are other owls at the sides as well. Then
on the front of the brim, I tooled a lovely bunch of gum leaves and
blossoms. These are in very high relief and really stick out as the
light hits them. The hat is gorgeous!
I wore it only once. It gives wonderful shade (the original purpose) and
everyone was stunned by its great beauty. However, it weighs a metric
tonne and caused my neck to concertina back into itself. For days
afterward, I felt like a tortoise! So, my beautiful hat hangs on the
wall and really looks much better there!
--
Trish {|:OI}
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Barbara Joyce
the "To," "Cc," and "Newsgroups" headers for details. ]]
Patternworks has a lovely-looking wooden egg with a handle in their
catalog. Description says "Smooth hand-sanded hardwood. As nice to
look at as it is to use. 5" long." Item # M-097, Darn It! $8.95
(Plus shipping charges) Toll free number is 1-800-438-5464. I've
ordered from them and their service is very good.
Barbara
PS. They also have a 2" wooden darning egg with no handle. M-091 $1.75.
HTH,
Barbara
Threaded
You'd think that in all my grandmother's sewing kit there'd be
one of those. But all I ever remember her using was a burnt
light bulb. It has a *handle* and is very smooth. I darned my
DH's socks for a few years, but have deceased and desisted
'cause he kept buying the cheaper ones and I refuse to darn
those! LOL
Hope you find something you like and can pass down to your
future generations.
Eva in Foggy, Chilly, and NOW Drippy, Kent, WA, USA
"Bea" <hibe...@home.com> wrote in message
news:3A3128E9...@home.com...
Joyce in RSA
with speckles on, and just the right size. I have seen plastic "mushrooms"
in the shops, and wondered who on earth darns these days! I've also used a
gourd, and a light bulb, many years ago. We're a bit far away, but you can
find plenty of substitutes. Enjoy your darning! Joyce in RSA.
Threaded <bria...@foxinternet.net> wrote in article <> Greetings -
>
> You'd think that in all my grandmother's sewing kit there'd be
> one of those. But all I ever remember her using was a burnt
> light bulb. > Eva in Foggy, Chilly, and NOW Drippy, Kent, WA, USA
>
> "Bea" <hibe...@home.com> wrote in message
Bea
things you can do. I keep visualizing your concertina neck, stretching it
out to look around and then drawing it back in from the weight of the hat
LOL!
Bea
Bea
I agree, when DH wore cheap socks they definitely got tossed. But these
Land's End socks are realy nice (and expensive) and because he's got a pokey
toe or whatever to cause a hole I can't bear to toss them. The wooden goose
egg I got at Michael's worked. I darned two socks and almost started to look
for more in his sock drawer then got a grip and went back to more important
things like xstitch.
Bea
Bea
I never thought of that. We have an "antique mall" close by where people rent
space and display anything and everything "antiquey" or just old they have for
sale. There's no rhyme or reason to the place so you just have to start on one
side and work your way through. The next time I have 3 or 4 hours I will
definitely begin to check them out.
Bea
Pat Porter
time I was in the shop! I haven`t darned a sock in about 40 years or more -
I used to when I was young and newly married and keen! DH didn`t really like
it - the darned bits always hurt his tender little toes! That figures -
wher they get worn is where the pressure is, so they`re most likely to ve
uncomfortable there! i didn`t need any more excuses - never darned one
since!!!
Pat P.
(aka Attila the Hen)
Bea <hibe...@home.com> wrote in message news:3A3262B4...@home.com...
Mirjam Bruck-Cohen
This was very interesting , We never had A wooden egg , but we did
have a wooden Mushroom [ in a way this is half an egg on a stick
lilke a posickle :>:>:>]
When I had none I have used Upside down cups , and even the odd small
plate . A Mushroom would be very easy to make , Buy A small wooden or
plastic saucer and Glue it or hammer it onto some handle [I have used
An Old unwanted door handle !!!] makes a wondeful Darning tool.
mirjam
Bea
Your right. An old door knob would work pretty well as a darning "ball".
If we ever replace any around our house I'll be sure and save one.
Bea
Lavania Cook
--
Lavania in Indianapolis
BitsyB
Mmmmmm, you're stirring up memories! I still have my grandmother's
darning gourd from around the turn of the century. It's a shape that
she told me was grown for that purpose only, as it's approximately the
size and shape of a goose egg. And although it seems rock-hard, it
still has a few little tooth marks (mine) around the stem end--guess
what was one of my favorite "rattles" when I was little (LOL)!
Other old possibilities are china doorknobs and those glass eggs that
farmers used to use to fool reluctant hens--my grandmother had used both
and they should be available on the antiques market.
BitsyB
Liz / Cozit
you out as well. I found I was having a problem with wearing a hole in the thick
stockings I was wearing at the renn. faire this year... almost every day, only
one spot. Turned out I had worn a hole (somehow) in that one spot of the lining
of the toe box of the shoe...which was also apparently why that is the only "bad"
spot. I'm taking the shoe in after the holidays to get a new bit of lining put
in... which should cut back the darning for a little while at least.
-Liz
Susanne Hackbarth
> Hi again,
> I wonder if anyone knows a source for a darning egg. My mother had a
> wooden one with a handle many, many years ago which has since
> disappeared.
I have a couple sock darners; one never used and one that belonged to my
Mom, VERY used. I have one that is really weird. It is round, black metal,
with 6 spokes (?) that open and close. There are two round metal coils that
hold the stocking on/over/around :) this gizmo. I have had this thing
forever! Never used. Probably got it in a gadget magazine or store to make
an impression on my husband to darn his socks. I never learned how to darn
socks.
I just scanned the gizmo into my computer if anyone wants to see what it
looks like. I'm not selling it or giving it away, just wondering if anyone
has ever heard of this.
Bea, I will send you the sock darner if you want it. Old but never used. I
can send you a picture if you want to look at it.
Susanne
Murraysl
:-)
Sandra
Bea
Thanks for the offer but this goose egg I bought seems to do a great job. No
sticking myself with the needle hence no blood on the sock and I can really see
where I need to stitch. I'd love to see the metal one though sounds like a
really weird contraption.
Bea
Joyce in RSA
I have something similar, from my late MIL, but it doesn't have a cover to
hold the material, just a round thing with spokes which retract. You weave
the wool around the spokes, then retract to release the "daisy". I think
then they're joined together to make a blanket. I even saw one recently in
a shop, to my amazement! Joyce in RSA.
Susanne Hackbarth <sus...@mediaone.net> wrote in article >
Connie Schamaun
Connie
Romilly
tool in mother of pearl. (People in these malls sometimes don't realize
what they have.. bodkins, sewing kits, etc... my laying tool was only $20! -
I'm afraid I'm now on the rocky road to collecting antiques. <grin>