Crocheting device ID

[Rob H.]

I'm not sure if this device is used in crocheting or not, but several people had suggested that it might have been used by a crocheter or weaver, so I thought that I would ask on this forum to see if anyone had seen one of these before.

 

Here are two photos of it:

 

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/Album%206/image006.jpg

 

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/Album%206/image007.jpg

 

 

 

The owner's description of it:

 

 

It was in the "stuff" belonging to my Aunt Jane, who recently died.

 

It appears to be hand-made.

 

Several of my aunt's brothers (my uncles) ran a machine shop for many

years, so this may have been some sort of prototype.

 

When the object is folded flat, the holes on opposing sides line up;

when the object is opened into a square, the holes on opposing sides

also line up.

 

The oddly-shaped piece I will label the "tab" appears to have no

function other than holding the piece flat when it is folded, and the

fit when it is folded down is not snug.

 

For reference, I will call the edge of the object on which the tab is

attached, the top.

 

Along the inside of the bottom of the object, there is a recessed

section running across all four sides, from the bottom edge to just

above the row of holes; this creates a ledge or lip just above the

holes.

 

For scale, the object is 8" long when folded flat. When opened square,

the outside edge is roughly 4-1/2", and the inside edge is 4". The lip

is recessed ¼".

 

-----

 

Please let me know if you recognize it.

 

Thanks,

Rob

[01buckler15]

I have no idea what that is, but I am curious to see if anyone else does.

 

Good Luck!

[Mermaiden]

Interesting.... never seen one, but my best guess would be that it was used for hemstitching maybe? It could have had an awl along with it to pierce holes into fabric through the holes in the wood? (like an edgery-do template) or maybe even some tool they could roll over the top of it. Maybe that's what the grooves are for somehow...

[snugsmontreal]

looks like a contraption of midieval torture... not too sure about a crochet use and i dont weave. i must say after reading the post about a hem border/template and looking at it again it could be that but i have no idea really. good luck figuring it out

[Selune]

Almost looks like a slate frame for needlework, but hard to tell. On a slate frame, you thread through the holes and through your embroidery cloth and use the thread to straighten out the work for even tension. It's kind of an old fashioned embroidery loop. They used this because unlike now, where you have clearly defined holes such as Aida cloth, before, you used to stretch the cloth for tension so you knew how to space your stitches.

 

I honestly have no idea if that is what this is, but that's what it reminds me of.

[Rob H.]

Thanks for the replies, I haven't been able to verify any of the guesses yet, but if I find out what it is I'll post the answer here.

[shebear]

Yep I was thinking frame for needlepoint too. Looks like it mounts on something too.