This darning tool was my Scottish grandmother's. I inherited her sewing supplies and this was tucked into a box full of embroidery floss and darning wool.
I googled a bit before writing this post, and discovered that this must be a darning mushroom. Or at least the mushroom top. It must have originally had a stem, possibly hollowed out to hold darning needles.
I had no idea! I just know from experience that the gently curved dome and the softness of the wood make it a very useful tool when fixing a sock. Tuck it into the toe before you start stitching and you won't be accidentally sewing the sides of your sock together.
I have strong feelings about many of the tools I use. As a maker, these tools are almost as meaningful to me as the things I make. I created #toolsontuesday to keep up the practice of sharing stories about the tools we use and live with.
Every Tuesday, I share one of my favorite tools. I hope you'll share yours in the comments — it feels good to honor these everyday objects.
You can see all the #toolsontuesday posts here.