Pride and Joy and vintage

Firstly a very big welcome to my new followers Sophie over there in Greece at The Laughing string, Shari at Sari's Crochet,Helen at Carfty Helen, Sarah at Annaboo,Jules at Little Woollie,June at Cats,Dogs and Eiderdowns,Katie at My Secret Crochet blog,Claire at Thriftwood,Carolanne at Chenilecottage,Sally at Art-a-musings, Muriel at Muriels blog,Debbie at Happy Little Cottage and Hazel at Ramblings and such and Isobel at The Home Nest "Ben vinda".
Thats all the latest I think ,if I haven't mentioned you I'm sorry but either I've missed you out or you don't appear on my follower's list. Please follow me by using the Google connect sign up gadget on my blog.....thanks mucho :-)

A post-it

Did I see/read somewhere that someone collects Ladybird books????

Today I'd like to do something vintage
my Gran was a crocheter and my memories of her practically always include her with some crochet make in progress in her hands. She did the fine stuff ...filet crochet,lace crochet and Irish crochet;doilies,tablecloths,tray covers, jug covers,and edgings among other things. Usually in white, beige or ecru, fine fine cotton using those tiny tiny hooks and stitches so very small .... it was what her mother taught her .
I want to share this with you today so I've brought out some of my Gran's makes which I had tucked away to show you.

 I rarely have them out and I never use the coffee table cloth I am scared I will stain it,in the past I had the beige round table cover on a small lamp side table but someone burnt it with a cigarette years back during a dinner party, so I put it away too.

I have more of the edgings somewhere and I have copied some of those filet crochet edgings myself.

  I still have a reel of the cotton she used which must be about 65 years old and a crochet hook.
 I am convinced that the crochet hook must be an antique. It is old but I don't know how old but it was given to my mother by my Gran and it was her mother's before her.

It doesn't look much as you can see in the photo and I have tried to clean it up however as you can see it is very old and it has a metal cap something you don't often see.

 I don't know what size it is....its faded away.

 Here's a wonderful thing .... thanks to another blogger I have only just met Lynne at Pieceful ,unknowingly to her ,on posting on her blog about napkin edgings and having to use a sharp headed hook she has clarified for me, after all these years, why this my old hook has such a sharp head to it. It is very sharp I assure you, I have drawn blood before now. Its unbelievable really it never dawned on me why it was so sharp because it looks flipping obvious now, to punch the holes in the cloth to pull the thread through of course!!!

I don't often get these treasured bits of my Gran's out .......just occasionally. After my mother passed away I didn't get them out for several years, it all tied up to her and Gran because mother did crochet too as well as her Honiton Lace. It brought sadness then but I am a strong believer that fond memories keep your loved ones  alive  and its a tribute to them to remember the good times and not to shut them away.  So looking at these treasured bits of crochet it brings to mind my Gran and my mother on a beautiful summer's day out in my Gran's rose garden at her bungalow in Brixham South Devon, heads down chatting as they crochet together.

Sweet memories!!!!!

Amanda :-)