About gDonna
The photo is my son and myself. Now days you can get a photo made to look old like this one. This photo was taken when this was the new look.

Harry S Truman was president when I was born and world war II had ended. I grew up in a time when lunch was put in a brown paper bag and a sandwich was wrapped with wax paper. There was no such thing as pantyhose, we wore stockings that attached to the rubbery clippy things that attached to the girdle. Convenience stores were not common and when we took a trip we packed a picnic basket because many places did not have fast food. Highways had places to pull over and stop, some with picnic tables. Read more ....

My Favorite Blog and Books

Down to Earth "Blog"

Down to Earth Book

The Simple Life by Rhonda Hetzel

The Mending Compact

February 21, 2017

Just a couple of weeks ago I mentioned a 1942 project I was going to do called a mending compact. It is in one of my early 1940s books and I was having an issue with yarn/threads of today verses 1942. Many of you emailed with suggestions and I thank you for all your help.

I finally found a vintage worsted floss online and purchased it. I wanted to see it in person and compare it to what we have today and there is quite a bit of difference.

It is a twisted yarn and 100% wool. It splits easily, it looks thick but it is not. When you stretch it out it is about the size of sock yarn but slightly different, more fuzzy sock yarn. I would say very slightly bigger but smaller than baby sport.

So I decided to make a few rounds then go around the size with a pen so I can make two and see the difference.

I documented it so I have something to go by to see what common yarn/thread could be used. If you want to make the little mending compact follow the directions and when you get to round two this is the size it should be.

I will post the link to the post that has the directions to the mending compact at the close of this post.

So here is where it starts turning up to make the bowl...

One thing about the wool is this should never stretch out or wear out..

I have now made the bottom and the top. The top edges are a bit scalloped. I did have a little problem reading the directions, by the way sdc from back then is considered a half double crochet. It was called short double crochet (sdc).

The top...

The very top has small petals.... I used a size 10 thread.

So here is the 1942 mending compact. It has a button loop to hold it shut.

The directions show using it for needles, thread etc. For now I put a needle and my measuring tape.

So this is one of the vintage gifts that can be made for the gift cupboard. I will sometime in the near future make another with yarn from today, I believe it will have to be sock yarn, possibly sport.