thingy

vintage thingy
I just got a box of yarn (after a bag of yarn) busting with old and vintage yarns. In the bottom was this crazy tool which comes apart. The base is pretty obvious to determine the use. You turn the knob at the bottom and spokes pop out. It's for making flower embellishments. It's one of those fancy ones, too. The spokes go in and out. When you're finished, you pop off the flower like they do on tv.
The thing for the top is a mystery to me. It fits in the holes on the base. I can't really see what you would do with it. It's not a cord loom because it lacks the center tube to extrude the cord. It has 4 posts, each with two spikes. It fits on the base by 2 posts, even though the base has 4 holes. There doesn't appear to be any difference in directionality. And you can extend and retract the spokes for the loom while it is in place. No idea, seriously.