Okay, what is it used for?

[SunniY]

My mother and I are going through my late grandmother's (born in 1902) fine work and came across this.  The round piece had elastic threaded through it which had long lost it's spring.

 

And we wondered....a snood maybe?  Didn't seem deep enough to hold much hair.  A cover for the world's smallest toilet lid? It had that *shape*, but it's really small for that....

Then we found the dog-bone-shape-thing.  Ummm.....?????

Ladies, we may never sleep again trying to figure out what this set *actually is*.  Any help out there?  

Edited September 30, 2022 by SunniY
Misspelling.

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!  I make a lot of doilies.  The bottom one could just be a decorative doily, it makes me think of an oval one I made that accidently ended up being the perfect size to go under the clock on our hutch (the clock is wide facing front, but probably less than 2" deep, so in other  words might fit between the roses on your doily).

Not sure about the top one with the elastic tho, it would make a cone shape if you gathered up the edges, with the plain part overlapping...?  Very mysterious!  

Edited October 1, 2022 by Granny Square

[SunniY]

With the elastic in it, it resembled one of those 70's toilet seat covers that seemed to be made of carpet?  Or perhaps when the elastic was young and bouncy, it would have had the shape of one of those plastic shower caps?

The elastic was a smaller circle than the outer edges of the piece.

I would have thought that someone had just repurposed a doily for something else, *except* for that one pie piece that is completely different from the rest.  That's what made me think it was purpose-made....and wondering what the purpose was.  

And then the matching barbell-looking piece showed up, and ....  more mystery.  It's obvious they are supposed to be a set....

[bgs]

Maybe it was a fancy bowl cover or maybe this

https://www.etsy.com/listing/938344427/pdf-pattern-crochet-handmade-pot

Maybe the oblong one was a fancy version of this

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pot-pincher-pattern

[SunniY]

*ponders* I should have put something in there for size, but I didn't have a hook on me.....

The round thing with the one pie piece that's netting, making it a mystery, is about the size of a solid, stoneware, dinner plate...maybe a little bigger.

And the dumbbell thing is about as long as a butter knife.  

I think the dumbbell thing is a bit big to grab hot plates...and too small for grabbing things out of the oven.

Both of these were made before 1965.  My grandmother's arthritis got too bad for her to do finework after that.  Which is why I don't think it was for hot plates.... Microwaves weren't common back then, and she never heated a plate in the oven.

 

The bowl things.....maaaaybe? Do you think you'd want elastic around it?

[bgs]

https://freevintagecrochet.com/free-potholder-patterns/coats267/rose-kitchen-set

https://www.e-patternscentral.com/detail.html?prod_id=17096&cat_id=881&criteria=

[SunniY]

OMG!  That's it's!  Thank you so much!!!!

[SunniY]

That is awesome!  You are awesome!  Thank you!

I was beginning to wonder if the napkin holder might be a sleep mask.  😂

Thank you so much!

[Granny Square]

LOL imagining a sleep mask with roses for eyeballs! 

Well done finding those Bgs, I usually 'hang out' in the doily section of Free Vintage Crochet, I'll have to go check out the kitchen area. The full size of the oval in #10 thread would make a lovely doily--I'd hate to squash the flowers using it as a hot mat.  

[SunniY]

😂 Well, I found some crocheted sleep masks with all sorts of things for eyeballs on Etsy.

I admit, it has never occurred to me to crochet a sleep mask...but who am I to judge? 

[Granny Square]

Ha!  I wear a sleep mask because there is a street light on the street behind us, and do to the logistics of our bedroom it's hard to completely darken the room at night.  The mask I'm using now says "Offline".   I used to have one that had embroidered 'eyelashes' facing downward.  (Found them at Dollar Tree)

I'd think a crocheted one might be hot, the ones I buy are satin-y on the outside usually, and plainer fabric on the inside.

[SunniY]

For the very same reason, I bought blackout curtains.  I live on a corner, and the streetlight is right over my place, and so my yard is like daylight.  

I can't wear anything on my face or head and still sleep, so blackout curtains have saved the lives of my family. 😁