'Granny-Chic'?

dahlia As far as I know, cake stands never went away (nor did cakes). However, generally speaking, they are just useful, not chic.

I love and treasure old things and have silver, glass, ceramics, jewellery (proper stuff and trinkets), paintings and a whole load of other stuff that has either been passed down the generations or I have bought in antique shops, auctions and junk shops. Lots of it is utterly lovely but not much, if anything, qualifies as chic.

It's all to do with what you "know to be useful or think to be beautiful" isn't it?

Well I am all for knitted tea cosies and old crockery. My kitchen is almost a shrine to the 40s and 50s, I wear flowery pinnies and watch anything if the word vintage crops up. But I am still stylish. I watch fashion shows and buy my take on the latest trend (no leggings, 80s throw backs, but chic coats, using the term correctly, jeans trendy handbags etc, without the designer labels on show!!). I have my hair cut in a modern style and will never do the blue rinse, 80 denier tan stockings with lace ups or pastel oversized windcheater jackets. I label my home shabby chic with a few antiques thrown in. So I think the thing here is a new modern take on 'chic' when referring to a current home trend. We all know it isn't the correct use of the word, but where's the harm in that.

Anno - crazy patterns - I like the owl cosy too

winnibriggshouse I suspect you won't be a fan of the his'n hers anoraks and baseball caps either. I do like a decently tailored jacket - it will lift any sort of outfit. Since my knee replacements I'm a tad limited in choice of shoes, but it's not a problem while pumps are so fashionable. My home tends to be Italian shabby chic with a combination of majolica back to the 1940's, 19th century prints and some modern Alessi pieces.

Well! I'm taking up crochet again, as a preparation for my third attempt at retirement!

A little retirement business jeni?
Did you see what that actress's tea cosies were selling for? Around £40 - £75!! (It was in euros at it was Ireland, but a rough translation)
Even one a week would be a nice bit of pocket money

winnibriggshouse Does anybody have a blue rinse these days? I don't think I have seen one for at least 20 years. I don' think they were ever chic either, even in their heyday.

Someone is making hand knitted doggy jumpers (essentially a small tube) with a Christmas pudding design on it, and selling them on Ebay for about £10!
Not granny-chic but waggy-chic

My aunt's hair went pure white early in life. At a time when blue rinses were (yes, they really were) fashionable, she varied from royal blue to lilac. However, one day she appeared with pink hair. My little sister, about 6 at the time, and never one to keep her foot out of her mouth, gazed innocently at this sight and said, 'Auntie C, is your hair really meant to be pink?' Luckily Auntie had a good sense of humour. And 63 years later, my sister hasn't changed.

How about egg cosies? Anyone got one of those? they are much quicker to knit than tea cosies!

I remember those, Hunt but don't remember who made them - the sort of thing people would donate to bring and buy sales because they didn't know what to do with them!

I remember egg cosies; made out of felt like a chicken with a red comb!! Totally useless article as if you don't eat the egg straight away the yolk goes hard so what's the point of keeping it warm? As useless as a knitted willy-warmer which the late Mr.G was once given as a joke by a neighbour - one size fits all ?

gally

Is that true, about the yolk going hard? I thought that once it was out of the pan it was more or less 'set' like that . Prince Charles must have to test his boiled eggs pretty quickly every morning!

I think it stops cooking when you crack the shell, so you do that and then put your cosy on (the egg ,of course!) Mine is knitted in 2plain , 2 purl rib like a little hat and has a little bobble on the top.

While we are on the subject of knitting, littlest DD's MIL has told me she is knitting for "fish and chip babies" - have you heard of these? These are poor little babies, mostly HIV positive born in Uganda to such poverty that they are sent home wrapped in newspaper to keep them warm.
Do look at this - I know many of you are keen crafters and knitters. Can you imagine a poor little scrap wrapped in newspaper for warmth? It beggars belief and is just so sad expecially when you think about the prospects they face if they survive the early years at all. This is the link, and a quote from the news item:
(You can see a picture of Eileen who has organised the appeal )"in front of a communion table covered with brightly coloured little knitted jumpers and hats. They had been knitted in response to an appeal on Mothers Day in March to knit them for the "fish and chip babies" of Uganda. These babies, mostly born HIV positive, are born into such poverty that traditionally they have left hospital wrapped in newspaper. However now even newspaper is too expensive. So we had undertaken to help meet their needs by knitting jumpers and hats. And a communion table and a further two tabels covered with 200 jumpers and 100 hats was the result.
The jumpers and hats will be delivered to Uganda by friends."

www.stmarysluton.org/news-and...d-chip-babies

I'm 1/4 way through crocheting a beanie for DGD. As I haven't crocheted for 40 years , this is some effort on my part!

Link doesn't work!

Jeni click on' Andy Humm's ordination' - it's all out of sinc!!

Oops - google "fish and chip babies" and/or st mary's luton and see if you can get there!
www.stmarysluton.org might be it

I make instant coffee in a mug. If a visitor prefers tea I put a teabag in a mug. I have never knitted or crocheted - have I failed the "proper granny" test?

If I haven't already I'm about to. I'm much more likely to have a partly built computer in my flat than be involved in knitting or cooking.

MaryXXX - you are a proper 21st century granny!

How about crocheted crinolined lady spare toilet roll covers? In Dayglo colours Are they still chic?

Nelliemoser They – pastel or dayglo – were never chic and aren't now. Popular apparently, but that's something wholly different.