The Doily Lady

As many of you know by now, I have been knitting and crocheting for many years of my life.  I started when I was ten or eleven years old.  I have made a lot of doilies throughout the years.  My two daughters and their friends called me "the doily lady".  I wasn't thrilled about that when I was in my thirties, but now I am an older lady and we should have doilies.  They are decorative but also hide the dust.  Think about that.  I may be smarter than I appear to be. 

My home has doilies everywhere.  Whenever I would change color schemes, I would make a doily in that color.  I even have one on the back of the toilet.

Here are a few others.

This next doily shown below was prompted from a fundraising auction we attended in 1997.  The former mayor of Stoughton Wisconsin, Helen Johnson, donated some wonderful items.  One was a framed tatted piece that I treasure to this day.  My husband bid on it for me and was able to get the highest bid.

The other was a large doily that she had crocheted.  We didn't get the bid on that item, but Helen was kind enough to share the pattern with me.  I made it in off white and enjoyed it for many years.  Then one day I forgot to take it off the table when the grand kids were visiting.  They got Spaghetti-O's on the doily.  I couldn't get it out, so I dyed it bright yellow.  It covered the stains and I actually love the color.

 

For those who don't crochet or know about it, it is done with a strand of thread or yarn and a hook.  These doilies take a fine thread and a small hook.  They take many many hours to make because each stitch is done one by one.  That brings me to my final thought.  I feel so bad when I see old doilies at flea markets, antique stores, garage sales or thrift shops.  On Monday we went to the car dealership.  I always go with my husband, and he drops me off to shop at a thrift store while the work is being done.  This time I found several fun things to purchase including three crocheted items.  I paid $1.15 for all three items.  I'm sure they have a history because they smelled like 'grandma'.  I hope I don't smell like that, but you know the smell.  Not bad but kind of like old perfume.   I feel proud to have rescued them.