72 APRIL 2016 http://www.stampandcoin.co.ukK is for knitting
I
f you’re the sort of collector who likes
a challenge, who gets a buzz from
unexpected finds and new discoveries,
then knitting may be just the topic
for you. Once the preserve of little old
ladies, knitting has recently joined the ranks
of home-brewing as a bone fide ‘hipster’ past
time. As I type, there are London cafes where
bearded gentlemen can be found knitting booties
and discussing the merits of 2-ply over 4-ply.
It’s a scene that wouldn’t be out of place in
16th-century Paris where the first knitting guilds- male only – were established. However, the
skill dates back to the Ancient Egyptians who
can plausibly claim to have invented the knitted
sock around 1,000 BC.
The invention of the knitting machine all
but killed off the guilds and left knitting as
‘women’s work’, something done on a small
scale, for the home. As such, most of the stamps
issued featuring knitting have their focus on
folk arts. A fine example comes from Tristan da
Cunha (1984) which nicely shows the process of
making woollen goods, from sheering the sheep
to carding and spinning the wool, through to
knitting with the finished yarn.
Finland has featured the topic at least twice
and both stamps would make fine additions to
the theme. In 1954, knitting appeared on the
mid-value stamp in the set of three issued in
support of the Red
Cross. In 1972, a
woman knitting
featured on the 2,30
value stamp from
that year’s Regional
Costume issue.
However, one of
the most appealing
knitting issues
has a rather interesting back-story. Every New
Year, the Japanese Postal Service produce a series
of nengajo, which are ready-to-post greetings
cards featuring a pre-printed stamp. Each year,
one of the designs is an eto (zodiac) animal.
The card for 2003 marked the Year of the
Sheep with a wonderfully fun design by Ayaka
Hoshino showing a sheep knitting a scarf. The
zodiac is on a twelve-year cycle, so twelve years
later, Ms Hoshino returned with a new stamp
design, showing the sheep proudly wearing his
completed scarf and holding the now redundant
knitting needles.
Knitted goods and knitting arts also fit nicely
into this theme. The USA’s 2007 Christmas Knits
issue and the similar Netherlands 2012 Knitting
Patterns Christmas stamps, which look as if the
stamps are knitted, are especially appealing.
Weaving, lacemaking and embroidery make
natural companions to this folksy theme but
this is a topic that rewards thinking out of the
box. For instance, the 2009 Innovative Australia
issue includes a 55 cent stamp showing two
children wearing Speedos. The link? Alexander
MacRae, who founded a knitwear business which
eventually became the Speedo Knitting Mills.
It’s interesting to note that
the philatelic term ‘selvedge’
also comes from a knitting
term. Selvedge is a corruption
of self-edge, referring to the
finished ends of woven or
knitted fabrics. So perhaps
there are more philatelic links
to this theme than first appear.Join Paula Hammond as she spins a yarn about a theme
that will challenge even the most dedicated collectorThematics A to Z
Knit-picking
postage
Why Collect?
- It’s a challenging theme.
- Limited issues offer a manageable
(completable?) collection. - Lots of sub-themes to expand
the theme. - FDCs for knitting/woollen mills
add interest. - A theme with longevity.
Notable releases
- 1954 - Finland, Red Cross,
15+3 stamp. - 1972 - Finland, Regional
Costumes 2,30 stamp. - 1984 - Tristan da Cunha, Wool
Industry, 45p stamp. - 2003 - Japan, knitting sheep.
- 2014 - Japan, knitting
sheep revisited.
Expand the theme
Until the First World War
knitting mills were ubiquitous and
examples of advertising First Day
Covers from companies like the
Fort Atkinson Knitting Better Sox
Knitting Mill and the Tornbury
IE Knitting Mill make great
additions to the theme.Collecting links
All Fibre Arts (www.allfiberarts.
com) covers many aspects of textile
and fabric collectables, including
short but informative sections on
postage stamps.YOUR GUIDE TO COLLECTING STAMPS BY THEMEp72 a-z thematic.indd 72 01/03/2016 11:40