IN 1942 I WAS 14 YEARS OLD AND WORKING IN A WOOLLEN MILL. MY FATHER WAS IN THE ARMY ABROAD AND I OFTEN WONDERED WHEN I WOULD SEE HIM AGAIN. TO ENCOURAGE ME, MY MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER TAUGHT ME TO CROCHET WITH A WHALEBONE HOOK, WHICH I HAVE TO THIS DAY. THE YARN - I SCROUNGED FROM WORK - FAULTY SAMPLES THAT WOULD BE THROWN OUT TO BE RECYCLED - THERE WAS A LOT OF RE-CYCLING IN THOSE DAYS TOO !
I WANTED TO BE FASHIONABLE - SOME OF MY FRIENDS WERE WEARING THE POPULAR SNOOD - EVEN VERA LYNN, SO MY GRANMA SHOWED ME HOW TO MAKE ONE.
SINCE THEN I HAVE DISCOVERED THE 40s WEEKENDS AND FOUND THAT SNOODS WERE VERY MUCH IN DEMAND. SO STARTING WITH A FEW, THE DEMAND HAS GROWN SO MUCH THAT NOW PEOPLE CALL ME THE 'SNOOD LADY'. SO - I HOPE YOU LIKE MY SNOODS. YOU CAN WEAR THEM WITH OR WITHOUT THE RIBBON.
WATCH OUT ALSO FOR MY OWN DESIGN OF A SNOOD ACCESSORY - MAKES YOUR SNOOD INTO A TURBAN.
I ALSO - THOUGH I DO NOT ADVERTISE THEM ON MY WEBSITE - HAVE A FEW ODDMENTS WHICH ARE AT GREATLY REDUCED PRICES - BUT IT'S A CASE OF TAKING POT LUCK ON STYLES AND COLOURS. SEE THEM AT MY EVENTS. USUALLY NORTHERN VENUES.
I TRY TO RE-CREATE THE 1940s STYLES AND ALSO WORK IN YARNS THAT ARE POPULAR TODAY.
I DO NICE ONES THAT ARE SUITABLE FOR EVENING WEAR - THE LUREX THREAD FOR EXAMPLE AND THE PEARL DECORATED ONES , ALSO WITH CRYSTALS AND COLOURED GLASS BEADS - IDEAL FOR WEDDINGS TOO ! DON'T FORGET - I WILL DO MY BEST TO FULFILL SPECIAL ORDERS FOR ONLY A LITTLE EXTRA.
NOW PERHAPS I CAN INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME OF MY FAMILY FROM THE EARLY DAYS.
FIRST MYSELF AT AGE 14 - IT WAS DAD'S EMBARKATION LEAVE - I DID NOT SEE HIM AGAIN UNTIL I WAS 18 YEARS OLD ! ALSO PICTURED MY MUM AND LITTLE BROTHER , KEITH. IT WAS HIS BIRTHDAY THAT DAY - HE WAS HE WAS 8 YEARS OLD.
THE SECOND PICTURE IS MY DAD IN ROME - THE THIRD PICTURE MY GRANMA AND AUNTIE ( 1932)
NEXT A WARTIME MESSAGE FROM MY DAD
SO NOW TO MODERN TIMES AND A FEW PICS. OF MYSELF AND MY HUSBAND JAMES AT BURY - EAST LANCS. RAILWAY - EVENT. ONE WE ALWAYS ENJOY!