Tuesday 5 July 2011

What is it?



My mom bought this at the secondhand shop, and we're both desperate to find out what it is, and what you do with it. It must be some sort of needlework tool, but googling Pic-Quic only turns up screwdrivers. D.R.G.M. seems to be an acronym for Deutsches Reich Gebrauchsmuster (German Reich Registered Design).

13 comments:

Michelle Engel Bencsko said...

I have something similar- resembles more of a rattle- no little hook. Was told it's for sock darning. The hook sort of makes sense.

Unknown said...

My guess would be that it's a combination of a couple of repair tools. Perhaps the hook is for repairing snags in knits and the "egg" is for darning?
Hope someone knows for sure... I'm intrigued!

linda said...

Looks like a darning egg, so maybe it's for mending stockings

Gina said...

The little hook is a "knit-picker" and used to fix snags in knit articles - to pull the thread to the back side of the work. I haven't seen this kind of combination but it makes sense. It looks like a darning egg and I'm sure socks got snags that could be fixed that way too. Here's some contemporary versions:
http://www.pronto.com/shop/knit-picker

Ganz und Garn said...

I am from Germany and have never seen such thing in my life :)
But I think it could be someting for darning socks, too!
Martina

Billy said...

Hi Jesse,

The tool used to make rugs like this:

http://pt.artesanum.com/artesanato-ref_9-31143.html

is very, very similar to the hook you show. I don´t know what the egg is for; to cut the yarn in the right length we used a sort of a ruler.

Have a good day!

Unknown said...

My German grandmother had one according to my mother. It's a "Stopfpilz" - used to darn socks or silk stockings.

nicole said...

It's for mending Nylons.

Denni said...

This is a tambour/luneville needle used for bead embroidery and also tambour embroidery - scroll down to almost the bottom of the page http://www.silentstitches.com/Reproduction%20NeedleworkTools.htm

and

http://www.embroiderersguildwa.org.au/Types%20of%20Embroidery/Tambour.htm

ItMakesYouSmile said...

Along the lines of sock darning, I wonder if it could be for completing the toe seam of a sock produced on a circular knitting machine?

Sue said...

It is for darning socks. Slip it into a sock with a hole and it gives a solid surface to support the knit. Darn it. ;-)

Small Catalogue said...

My Omi had one similar to that she used it for darning fine knit work. Gorgeous find.

Maria said...

Hi! The egg is probably for menting and the hook looks like a loop turner, that's if it has a moving part, that catches a piece of the fabric, does it?