New Knitting Dolls

Collectors of spool knitters

are now being catered for very

well - there are more new knitting

dolls for us to enjoy!

We also find a repaint of a

knitting doll - the Japanese doll.

 

These new knitting dolls are Made in China

with a slightly different version of a box

from a previous set of knitting dolls.

Remember those in their bright yellow

boxes with six different knitting

dolls - Eskimo, Japanese doll, Indian boy,

Indian girl, farm boy in blue

overalls, and another boy in red overalls?

These sets of dolls are

also found in a "knitting Nancy"

reproduction box by Heritage Toys
and Games.
(Both these sets in"yellow" and
"Heritage"
boxes are still being sold -
check out ebay.)

The wool supplied in the new

boxes are from Germany.

The loop tools are wooden

with a different colour ball

end. While the box remains

virtually the same, the various

craft shops, craft companies, toy

shops, and toy companies put

their own brand name/retail information

sticker on the boxes.

I wonder what we will discover next

about these sets!

::..::..::..::..::

What is it?

Ted graciously agreed

to model this little

spool knitting accessory

for me...

a novelty apple core

cord minder.

It is one part of the

prize for the current

Yahoo Spoolknitter Group

Tea Cosy Competition.

If you want to be involved,

HURRY! ... you

only have until

May 29th before

it closes!

 ~~~~~~~~

Knitting Grandma

I recently painted this

Knitting Grandma spool knitter.

Following the original J W Spear

Knitting Nancy, she is knitting

on four double pointers

just like Nancy.

oooOOOooo

Here's Humpty!

My blog mascot!

(with spool knit version)

->>X<<-

La Redoute, Roubaix

To appreciate the importance of this little tricotin,

we go back a little into the history of Roubaix, France.

Roubaix, in the region Nord Pas de Calais, became

a city with a booming textile and wool industry in the

19th century. There were 200 mills operating

around the city.

Around the 1920's a catalogue/mail-order

industry developed selling wools, patterns,

etc.

Because the town was still reeling from the

effects of WWI, one part of the plan

to get the wool industry back on its feet

was a promotional campaign - our

little "La Redoute" tricotin was offered

in these catalogues and sample leaflets

to help to sell more wool.

We find this tricotin still available

over time up to the 1950's.

In the 1960's onwards, the industry suffered

a decline being due to cheap imports which

also affected the British industry.

The 1970's up to the 2000's there were

thousands of job losses and buildings became

derelict.

However, Roubaix has now been "reborn" and

today we find, among others, fashion houses,

fashion and textile designers, marketing and

communications and home shopping companies,

and engineering colleges and teaching centres.

La Redoute district in the city 
of Roubaix, is now an
important mail-order

centre (La Redoute-Redcats, Damart,

Camaïeux and Phildar)

and also the "3 Suisses" wool company

is still in operation, creating wools, patterns,

catalogues, etc.

So, this little tricotin with its 

important role in advertising,

is an extremely

collectible spoolknitter to look out for!

>>>>o<<<<