KOKESHI

I was able to finish another of my

homemade spool knitters today. I hope
you like it.


Over the years I have found that I am drawn
more and more to wooden dolls and
toys, for example - Matroushka dolls,
Nutcracker dolls, Jumping Jacks,
Spool Knitters (of course!)
and Kokeshi dolls.

I have been wanting to do a Japanese
doll spool knitter for quite a while, and
thanks to my dear hubby, who cleverly
wooodturned some spool knitters for
me, I now have a "Kokeshi" style
spool knitter!
(She just needs the nails to
complete her.)


Here is a link to Wikipedia explaining
about Kokeshi dolls.


Of course there are hundreds more sites about
Kokeshi dolls so go ahead and Google
to see some fantastic Kokeshi dolls!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter Pan Playthings Ltd.

For those who are keen to collect
spool knitters in any way shape or
form, you might also like to include
those found in sets for sewing,
embroidery, knitting and handicraft
in general.

Below we have for example, the
Handicraft Compendium by Peter
Pan Playthings Ltd. London.


Included in this set are Basket Weaving
Dressmaking
Embroidery
Knitting
Quick Knit
Pom Pom Favourites.

The term "Quick Knit" in this
case refers to the spool knitter.
While this spool knitter is only plastic,
it is a good quality plastic with six "nails"
and would have provided
many happy hours of
spool knitting.



The directions on this set shows the
date of 1967.

Peter Pan Playthings (PPP) Ltd. also
made a Wendy "Pie" Knitter.


************

The NIFTY KNITTER

Here is a simple set by Milton-Bradley
called - The Nifty Knitter.
I would date to 1930's but
I am open to opinions -
if you have a complete set
I would love to know.

The original good quality
knitting spool is yellow and red
with four "gold" nails.
It arrived with three extra knitting spools -

2 thread spools and a red spool which looks to
me like a typical spool by "Davis" -
again open to other opinions regarding
this. One of the thread spools has been
"scribbled" on and so I am going to paint it.

Above is showing the side of the box.

Inside the lid are the directions for knitting.
It also states the number of this set is
4540 - 4544.

--------------

KNITTING DOLL

Knitting Doll by

Russimco Ltd.

These new sets dated 2007, are an interesting
find as the box top is a reproduction of the
Spears & Sons Knitting Nancy box.
It is such a pity that the original
Knitting Nancy has not been reproduced -
I was so disappointed to find that the
spool knitters contained in these boxes
are so totally different to the Spear's
"Knitting Nancy"......... :(!!

Below is an original vintage Spear
& Sons Knitting Nancy box and probably
the first boxes produced in 1926.
Note the wording on this - keeps
our Little Girls busy - and on the
reproduction box it is - keeps
our Little Ones busy.

Below is the back of the reproduction.
These spool knitters are -
"Available in three different designs".


Above photo shows the leaflets found in both
the original box and the reproduction.

Below - this photo is of another knitting dolls box
set where the knitting dolls available also are a
Japanese doll and Eskimo doll.
((This photo actually shows the "Indian" and
Japanese dolls and
the Eskimo doll (or perhaps it is a Russian cossack -
what do you think???) is illustrated on the box)).

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