Earlier this week I wrote about TV knitting – patterns from the 50’s promoted as ideal for knitting in front of the telly. After posting I received an email from Marian who told me she had a vintage counter display for Patons’ TV knitting patterns.
It looks like Marian is a fellow connoisseur of vintage knitting ephemera – she sent me this picture of a counter display she found 8 years ago in Castlemaine. I can’t tell you how jealous I am!
There is so much to love about the artwork in this advertisement. The details on the carpet, the tapered legs on the telly and the knitter’s perfect manicure are just too good.
I also love the way she is holding her knitting because that’s how I knit and I don’t see if very often. I rest the right needle on top of my thumb when I knit rather than the more common method of having the right hand over the top of the needle. It’s often called parlour knitting because it looks dainty and elegant – the only time anything I do could ever be described in those terms.
The image on the telly in Marian’s counter display is from a pattern I have in my collection. It’s not in great condition I’m afraid.
The hat is knitted flat on 3.75mm needles so it would be easy to reproduce in a modern 8ply mohair yarn and knit in the round. I’ll add this one to the list of things I’ll knit once I win the lottery and don’t have a day-job to attend to.
While on the topic of vintage counter displays I thought I’d show off one of my own, even thought it’s nothing to do with TV knitting. This is for Hanro Knitwear – so it’s ready to wear knits rather than handknits. Again the imagery is just gorgeous – look at those adorable models standing around, pretending to be all outdoorsy.
My friend Carole gave this to me and it’s one of my favourite things. Carole has been collecting vintage magazines, knitting patterns, tea cosies, crockery, embroidery and other goodies for decades. I’m very lucky to be gifted a few treasures from her collection on a regular basis.
Things like counter displays don’t often survive – they get thrown out when the next shop promotion comes along. Their scarcity makes these vintage counter displays even more special and I’m glad that there are others like Marian and Carole who treasure them as much as I do.
Wonderful post Jen! Thankyou! …. cheers, Marian
Thanks for sharing a little bit of your collection with me.
You ladies make my day! I love that you value things that others dismiss. There is something cosy, smug and at the same time amusing, about those old images that make them so appealing!
You’re right about the “cosy and smug” images. They always seem so satisfied to be just sitting down for a bit of knitting time in their perfectly tidy lounge rooms. I’ll bet they didn’t put their feet on the coffee table when they knit like I do.