Announcing the June Bride Competition

There is a brand new competition 

now underway over at Yahoo Spoolknitter

(link in right-hand column of blog)
and not to be confused with Flickr Spool Knitter,
but you are most welcome there too!

If you want to join in the fun,

come on over and join our Yahoo group

and you will then get to know the details

for the competition.

The prize?.......

is not one!.... but TWO hand painted

spoolknitters below ....

Competition closes May 29th!

The Happy Couple!

xxxxx

Penelope Magazine

PENELOPE

Vintage Magazines from France

As most of you are well aware, to find information

or patterns involving spool knitting is rare.

However, if we travel back to 1920's - 1930's

in France, we find a publication called Penelope

which at this time was featuring a column called

"Tricotin".

 I am more convinced than ever that the

art of spool knitting was so much more popular

in Europe than anywhere else in the world.

I have been fortunate to find, in the small

number of issues that I have of the 

Penelope magazine dating 1929 -

1933 this regular feature using imaginative

ideas for things such as -

a lightshade, fancy dress costume,

soft toy, collar & cuffs, accessory

for a doll house, and a crown.

Toutou, Mon Chien
(my puppy dog)

The magazine tells us that the mushroom
tricotin (spool knitter) you see pictured
in the graphics at the top of the column
is available at - La Redoute (fashion district)
in Roubaix, Nord for 6 francs via post.

PENELOPE
TRAVAUX DE LAINE
ET MODES
or
Work of Wool
and Patterns

The magazine at this time was printed on paper
like newspaper, black and white inside and only
a colour front cover. This cover often
featured a photo of knitted or crocheted
fabric. It usually consisted of
just 20 pages. To find any further information
regarding Penelope magazine has been fruitless.
However, I will continue to try
and find any info I can.

ooOOOoo

Toadstool Knitting Set

Toadstool Knitting Set

made by

Miladi

Made in England

This is a particularly fun looking

boxed set from Miladi.

I would say it is

circa 1950's.

The colourful graphics are

eye-catching as are the happy

little Pixies.

Inside this set (as found)

are two toadstool/mushroom

knitters, scraps of wool,

"tubes" of embroidery thread

labelled "Miladi",

and an instruction

 leaflet whose cover

 matches the box lid.

Close-up of the 

toadstools/mushroom knitters.

Miladi was part of the Berwick

Toys Company and of which there were

a number of childrens' sewing sets

in odd shaped boxes - either

octagonal, or

six-sided, using this label.

.

Here again, we find

the delightful pixies

on the box top.

^o-o^

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all and

may 2011 bring you your

dreams-come-true,

lots of spool knitting

successes and lots of fun!!!!

~~~~~~~~~

Toy Knitting Outfit

Bradley's 

Toy Knitting Outfit

Milton Bradley Co.

Springfield, Mass.  U. S. A.

Milton Bradley, born in 1836 in Vienna, Maine,

was first interested in lithography as a teenager.

By 1860 he had founded the Milton Bradley

Company and the first color lithography shop

in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Apart from games,  Bradley was

interested in children's education and

learning through play,

and the company also produced

materials for kindergarten children.

One such item was the Toy Knitting

Outfit. 

This is box numbered 4348 and is found in

the "Bradley's School Materials and

Books" catalog dated 1921.

Front and back cover shown

below,

Here is the page where it is found - and

another two sets are also mentioned here,

numbers 4195 and 4312.

Next we see the inside of the box (4348).

Oddly, I also have another set by Bradley which

is number 4200 (below). I am only guessing here but

this set could have possibly been made for the

general public. Inside, it has the larger 

spoolknitter which is also mentioned in the number

4195 set above.

This particular box has two of these - was

this set meant to have two? ... it is possible

as it could have been for sharing with a

brother or sister.

(The wooden spool with nails has been added

sometime later.)

So these sets are from the very early 1900's and

that makes them practically 100 years old!

I am so grateful to whoever took care of these sets

 that they remained in great condition.

(Bibliography -

Encyclopedia of Children's

Sewing Collectibles by 

Darlene J. Gengelbach - totally

recommend this book, I love it!)

============

=======

==

Little Mermaids

New Knitting Dolls

These little Mermaid knitting dolls are

as cute as can be.

There are six to the set each

one's hair different from the other.

They have little sparkle dots on

their bases in various colours.

They are newly released here

in Australia, and as far

as I can tell, very limited at present.

They should be more easily available

over the next 12 months.

These are made by Sailing Toys and Gifts Co. Ltd.,

exclusively for Sparkle T -

Made in China.

Curiously, instead of different coloured small balls of

yarn, they have included thin satin ribbon.

The loop tool has a fashioned hook on

its end.

When I find more available, I will

let you know.

~~~~~~~~

Yahoo Spoolknitter Competition

Yahoo Spoolknitter

Christmas Character/Doll Competition

The Yahoo Spoolknitter group are having their

last competition for the year and the

prize for the winner is a

fabulous Bracelet Jewelry 

Spool Knitting Kit

which is very

generously donated by our

wire spoolknitter extraordinaire -

Sharon Hessoun

... author of ...

Wire Knitting on a Spool.

Do check out her website -

Beadecked and Beaddicted Online

 

Should you wish to

enter, you must become a

member of our spoolknitter group

on Yahoo - link in right hand column

of this blog.

The photo above shows
  all that the lucky winner

will receive and it

also includes the CD of Sharon's book -

Wire Knitting ... on a Spool.

Once you have joined us, all of the

details for the competition will be found

in our Files section.

Competition closes midnight December 2nd!

**********