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)).

---oooOOOooo---

Spear's Orange Boxes

As promised from the last post, here

are the Spear's Games Knitting Nancy
boxes from 1983 and 1989.

Below is the box dated 1989
with the number 55046.

Below - this is what was in this particular
box. The Spear's Games and Crafts
catalogue unfortunately
did not include the Knitting Nancy!

Below - the directions found in this box are
in french for the Jeannette La Tricoteuse (the illustration
shown here is nothing like any
Spear's Knitting Nancy) which
is the french name for the vintage Knitting Nancy.
(The small print at the bottom says
Printed in England.)

Below - the two boxes right of the photo are both
dated 1983. (MCMLXXXIII)
The box number is 6001.

Below - inside one of the boxes (a later model Knitting
Nancy along with two earlier models - as found.)

For the next post I have another surprising find!
......and here is a sneak peek.......

Another Spear & Sons Knitting Nancy Box

I came across this box last year, the only one
I have seen in all of my collecting years.
By Spear's Games, it would have to be
the very last type of Knitting
Nancy box issued
before Spear's Games was sold to
Mattel in 1994. I have been told by Francis
Spear (of the Spear & Sons family)
that Mattel did not continue with the
production of Knitting Nancy but I have
seen one by Rocket Toys & Games (2003) with
the exact same Knitting Nancy. (The
link to my post showing Rocket Toys
& Games is here.)

This Knitting Nancy box is dated 1992 and
its number is 55046. I do have a box
numbered 55046 which is the orange
coloured box and I will show that box
(plus others) in the next post.

Side of box.

Inside the box - note that it comes
with a warranty.

Bottom of box.

The leaflet of projects made with the
Knitting Nancy.

The other side of the leaflet showing
the instructions and is dated 1989.

>>>>><<<<<

TRADE CARD DISCOVERY!!

Will Charm the Girls and Quiet the Noisy Boys.

Every now and then you get lucky and find

something significant in
spool knitter history.
The above trade card of the
English Needle Co. N.Y. and printed by
G. W. Averell & Co. is a fantastic
discovery and makes interesting reading
also.
The use of staples (called double
pins in the ad)
goes all the way back
to 1879 and possibly further as it
states this illustration of
G W Averell & Co. (illustrators
and publishers) was
patented on December
23rd, 1879!
The price of the Toy Knitter?
....... just 15 cents postpaid!
I cannot find further information
on the English Needle Co. N.Y. but
obviously it would have been the
U.S. branch of the company in the U.K.

Above - I found this vintage ad for G. W. Averell
on the internet.

Close up of the Toy Knitter - note
the "spiral guide" (spring) to
guide your yarn as you work.