Going through my mother's/grandmother's sewing stuff, we found this little gizmo. Sorry that the tip is so fuzzy in the picture.

Its business end has a hook with a hinged bit that would allow the user to pull something out without snagging. The whole thing is less than 3" long. We are baffled.

I've just bought something similar for rag rugging called a latch hook could be that maybe x

It looks like a gadget for picking up dropped stitches in knitting!! IMO!

It reminds me of a hook for making a latch hook rug.

It could be a latch hook , but more likely at that size, it is a snag fixer for knits like sweaters. You pulled the snagged loop to the underside where it wasn't seen.

I'm thinking one of those things they used to use to button up the high shoes from back in the late 1800's early 1900's...

That is the first thing I thought, too.

I agree! But it is only 3" long!

This is my thought too. A latched rug hook would have a bigger handle, no?

Looks like a latch hook to me. I think it was used in knitting, not the kind for rug making.