This is all I have left from my yarning days which is not very much I must admit. I wrote once before, just a couple of weeks ago, about my knitting and crochering days which are also now long gone. My first grandchild will be arriving in September, but her grandmother Angloswiss will not be raiding the yarn shops for baby wool to knit. Today it is not so necessary, you can buy such wonderful baby stretch onesies in pretty colours with attached feet, so what in the point in knitting little bootees for the baby’s little feet, in a few weeks the feet will no longer be little and stretch is perfect.
However, not wanting to disappoint, I took a quick trip to the cellar where I keep things “that might come in useful”. I got that one from mum. I think her complete household was full of things that should come in useful. Nothing was thrown away, you never know. Every little glass bottle that once contained tablets was kept on one side. They never really came in useful, but who was I to destroy my mum’s visions. Yes she was the original re-cycler, but then it did not have a name.
And now to my bits and pieces that I found in this tin. It seemed to be full of empty cotton reels and spare elastic. I even found a cotton reel with a full supply of thread on it, waiting for the next button to be sewn on. If you are looking for buttons, they are in a different tin. I have many, in all shapes and sizes and colours as well as hooks and eyes. They might come in handy one day. In the days of office work, Mr. Swiss would wear uniform on days when visitors were in the office: generally a shirt and tie and all the trimmings. It was the done thing at the time. Since he has joined the happy hunting grounds of the retired, his collection of Dior, Boss and Armani ties are now left in his wardrobe, hanging on the rack on the door. I cannot remember when he last wore a tie. The modern trend for special occasions has the description “Dress: casual” so the tie curse has now been eliminated.
But back to the buttons. At his time of wearing shirts, the buttons would usually leave the shirt after only wearing it a couple times. They were sewn on by machine, and just a simple pull on a thread would totally separate the button from the shirt. If you were lucky you found the missing button, otherwise it was always useful to have a few spare buttons. I was not very good at sewing on buttons, but Mr. Swiss quickly realised it was a an advantage to learn how to do it as he did not have to wait until I did it. As the shirt problem no longer exists, a supply of extra buttons is also no longer necessary and so the tins of yard/thread and buttons now lead a solitary life in the cellar. I only found them today for the photo above.
Of course there are women (even men it seems) that still like to knit a pullover or sew their own clothes. I used to belong to this tribe, but now prefer a computer and buy what I need in a store. One of my rebellious acts against becoming a golden oldie.
Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss 
I am pretty sure that every woman over a certain age has a set of those brown 4part leather look buttons! I do, and I have never owned anything they would go on! lol
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I made my own clothes for many years and so buttons were part of my sewing life, but buttons are very expensive, especially if you needed something that was a perfect match. My assortment of buttons were made of all materials. I cannot remember when the last time was that I needed a button.
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My neighbor — a Home Ec teacher from Australia — sews all her clothes and the advantage is that they fit. I sewed most of my clothes when I was in high school and into my 30s, but there came a day when I didn’t want to do it any more. BUT I wish I still had two patterns I used to make shirts. Those shirts were great and I’d make them again…
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I visited a sewing class for at least 20 years. We were the same group every week, mostly women like me that had odd proportions. I was too tall for off the peg clothing and my waist was not in the right place. I learned a lot and made everything from skirt, shirts and blouses to the masterpiece of a dark blue cashmere coat, which was my pride and joy. It was mainly a money saving thing as making your own was cheaper than buying, at last for me. I also made the school trousers for the kids. We had a factory near us where they sold material at very good prices. However as time went on we ladies all got older and I remember celebrating the retirement of the lady that ran the course. I still see her now and again in town, and we exchange many memories.
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How cool! The coat sounds wonderful. I don’t know if sewing is cheaper any more — I last looked at fabric a few years back and found it very expensive. I bought a sewing machine to replace the one I didn’t move with me to Colorado and, as it didn’t have a pedal, I ended up selling it rather than getting a pedal for it. I realized I wasn’t even going to make curtains…
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We had a great teacher. It can be cheaper, but you have to have you eye open for good offers for material. I had a good Swiss sewing machine, still have it and works perfect. I had it in a revision once but it was worth it. I have a pedal which I plug in when using the machine. It is a portable machine that I have. And I always made my own curtains. I even covered an old settee once.
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I was beyond clumsy, thus completely skipping the yarning, knitting, and crocheting days. What a relief! I never wanted to do it anyway. I know. Bad me.
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I did it to keep the kids in pullovers and socks throughout the winter. I even learned to knit with German patterns. I also knitted the odd thing for myself and Mr. Swiss, but now I prefer to buy the stuff. I don’t wear long sleeved stuff in any case.
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I don’t have the patience to knit for myself any more I was never that good and now I am “plus sized” I prefer to knit for dolls so I have trimmed down my stash of yarn but still have boxfuls of stuff I hope I will use one day to sew and knit for them. I may be kidding myself.
Our parents generation lived through the Depression, World War II and rationing. They could not afford to waste anything so they all kept everything forever. My mum was the same.
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When the kids were still kids I would spend my tv time knitting for them. I also would unravel the no longer wanred pullovers because they had grown out of them and crocher blankets and covers out of them. The computer arrived, the kids no longer had interest in knitted stuff and things moved on. I remember when my mum knitted a pullover she would never buy the wool at once, but only some ounces. The shop keepers would keep the rest on one side and she would buy it later when she had knitted up what she had. It was all a question of my money.
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Yes I remember shop keepers doing that too when mum used to knit.
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You could use all your spare yarn knitting squares for Wrap with Love! http://www.wrapwithlove.org/about-us
They send wraps all over the world for people desperately in need of blankets. My sister volunteers there, so I know what good work they do
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What a good idea.
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