Identify the mystery object

[Harry Bloomfield]

No photograph, just a vague description, sorry...

Back in the 1950's, in my mothers sewing box, was a pressed, plated steel object. It had a series of hooks in a row along it and a slide button at either end. Push the slide one way, the hooks all rotated to face one way, press the other button they turned to face the other direction. The hooks were a brown plated colour, it was hand sized, which about as much as I can remember and I never saw it in use, so it may have been much older.

I suspect it might have been something to do with darning holes in socks, though I can't see how. What brought it to mind, was seeing one of those wooden mushroom shaped things, which I know they used to darn socks in the good old days, before TV.

[Nightjar]

The Speedweve, Lancashire's smallest loom*, price 5/-, postage 3d extra.

I have one. Instructions for use here:

• Having advertised it as such, they then produced a smaller one, for silk and linen repairs.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Nightjar wrote on 28/05/2015 :

Well done! That is the one. I couldn't think how it, just a row of hooks, could be used for darning, but had forgotten about the bobbin part.

[rick]

If its one of these ...

It's a Sock darner ... very popular when National Service was in force. Pass needle through loops of wool one way, flick the metal loops so they all reverse then pass wool through other way ,... weaves in a patch of wool. Came with a matching round wooden sock support that the edge of darner slotted into.

My Mother still has one.