Then recently we found another Emu gadget. It's a very neat little counter, about 2 inches/5cm. long. There are two circular holes in the purple plastic at the back, just visible, and we think that the plastic would bend enough to allow a knitting needle to be threaded through both holes (though we're not going to try it, for fear of breaking it).
In theory, the Knit-Count and ruler/gauge could have been manufactured long after the design was registered, but I think they are likely to date from the late 1940s.
Early ads claim that unlike other yarns, Emu knitting wool won't shrink. For instance, a 1945 ad says:
'Emu is the result of scientific research into wool shrinkage. It is made permanently unshrinkable and easy washing by a secret process called "emunising". Send for a copy of "Science and Wool" booklet, which explains why Emu Wool is unshrinkable.'We don't have a copy of the booklet in the collection, so I can't tell you the explanation.
Emu ran a long series of ads with the slogan "Knit with Emu and stop thinking about shrinking". The two illustrated give the address "Emu Wools Ltd., Emu House, Oxford Circus, London W.1." I wonder where Emu wool was spun - obviously not at Oxford Circus. Any information gratefully received.
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| From Vogue Knitting 29, Autumn 1946 |
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| From Vogue Knitting 30, Spring 1947 |
lovely to stumble across your blog when looking for info about Emu wools. I grew up behind a wool shop in Suffolk. My Mum also called Barbara passed away last June. I have a photo of the shop window display from the early 50's when I think my Mum won a competition run by Emu wools - the photo is tiny and not that clear - I was looking for information about the history of the competition - I don't suppose you know of any archive about this do you? best wishes Susan Eyre
ReplyDeleteHi Susan. That's a lovely story about your Mum. I don't know of any archive or information about competitions run by Emu Wools. I think the company was eventually based in Keighley, so any surviving company archives might be with the West Yorkshire Archives.
DeleteI buy knitting needles and accessories at yard/garage/estate sales, most of which get passed on to people who teach knitting. But the pair of Emu size 12 needles with red ends I will keep. Although how they got to north-eastern Ohio, U.S., I don’t know!
ReplyDeleteA mystery, certainly. But worth keeping. Are they like the Jouvenia needles, that I wrote about here? https://barbaraknitsagain.blogspot.com/2017/05/more-knitting-needles.html
DeleteI think I have seen Emu needles like that, but they are uncommon (even in the U.K.)
I buy knitting needles and accessories at yard/garage/estate sales, most of which get passed on to people who teach knitting. But the pair of Emu size 12 needles with red ends I will keep. Although how they got to north-eastern Ohio, U.S., I don’t know!
ReplyDeleteI buy knitting needles and accessories at yard/garage/estate sales, most of which get passed on to people who teach knitting. But the pair of Emu size 12 needles with red ends I will keep. Although how they got to north-eastern Ohio, U.S., I don’t know!
ReplyDeleteHi from the US! Stumbled onto your website and am asking for some assistance. Have an old Alice Starmore pattern book that lists Emu DK yarn, but the "colors" are just place names, not anything I can figure out. Would you by chance have an old color chart for this yarn? The names are like Fetlar, Bressay, etc. No equivalent here. There are 11 different ones. Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteHi Lu Anne. We do have shade cards in the Guild collection, though I don't deal with them so I don't know if me have the one you need. If you email collections@kcguild.org.uk to ask, it will get passed on to the right person.
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