A collection of 40s Australiana

Fowler Ware jug
Tortoise Shell knitting needles
Emu knitting pin gauge, made in Australia 1940s

This collection was made in Australia in the 1940s.

Fowler Ware created industrial pottery in Glebe, Sydney commencing in the 1840s. After WWII, Fowler Ware moved to producing pottery for the domestic market : their graduated pudding bowls and jugs were so popular that they opened a second pottery to cope with the demand. Here we have a 2 pint jug in yellow: it is marked as such in relief on the base.

The vintage tortoise shell knitting needles are much prized by knitters and artists alike : very collectable. Knitters like them because they are super flexible and so easier to work with, and artists refashion the needles into art / jewellery : see Etsy and Pinterest for examples. Because the material is so pliable artists use hot water to mould the needles into new shapes/patterns. This collection has twenty pairs of needles, up to needle gauge 6mm, which was the largest gauge made in this material.

And the Emu gauge is a classic bell-shaped gauge: its anodised aluminium in a fantastic green colour. It’s different from previous bell gauges in having the gauge holes in the middle, rather than the on the edge of the bell – and includes a tiny 1mm diameter hole for a size 19 needle. The logo of the emu as a ball of wool, with needles for legs at the top of the bell is a classic!

All three items in this collections are for sale separately:
The Fowler Ware jug : $AU40
20 pairs tortoise shell needles: $AU200
Emu knitting gauge: $AU25

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Tortoise shell

Faux tortoise shell knitting needles
made in Australia c1910-1940s

I have posted tortoise shell knitting needles before : they are much prized by knitters and artists alike and are very collectable. Knitters like them because they are super flexible and so easy to work with, and artists refashion the needles into art / jewellery : see Etsy and Pinterest for examples. Because the material is very pliable, artists use hot water to mould the needles into new shapes/forms.

This collection has twenty pairs of needles, from gauge 6 – gauge 13, and the makers are: Patons, Quicknit, Shellonite and Halex.

Tortoise shell became illegal to sell in the 1970s [in Australia- an international ban became effective in 1982] and so production ceased. These needles are therefore now described as ‘faux tortoise shell’. Suffice it to say, these needles are now quite rare.

The 20 pairs of faux tortoise shell needles are selling for $AUD200.

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Tortoise shell knitting needles

Tortoise shell knitting needles

Tortoise shell is now illegal to sell- and rightly so. Any tortoise shell items must now be described as ‘faux-tortoise shell’ to get around the embargo of selling tortoise shell items. These vintage ‘faux’ tortoise shell knitting needles are much prized by knitters and artists alike and are now very collectable. Knitters like them because they are super flexible and so much easier to work with, and artists refashion the needles into art / jewellery items- see Etsy and Pinterest for examples. Because the material is very pliable, artists use hot water to mould the needles into new shapes/patterns.

I am a knitter myself and love the way the needles work. I’ve been collecting these needles for quite a while now and have amassed a small fortune- email me with what you need and I can send you a comprehensive list of needle sizes/quantities and makers.

Faux tortoise shell knitting needles

faux tortoise shell knitting needles c. 1910-1940s

I have posted tortoise shell knitting needles before : they are much prized by knitters and artists alike and are very collectable. Knitters like them because they are super flexible and so easy to work with, and artists refashion the needles into art / jewellery : see Etsy and Pinterest for examples. Because the material is very pliable, artists use hot water to mould the needles into new shapes/patterns.

This collection has twenty pairs of needles, from gauge 6 – gauge 13, and the makers are: Patons, Quicknit, Shellonite and Halex.

Tortoise shell became illegal to sell in the 1970s [in Australia- an international ban became effective in 1982] and so production ceased. These needles are therefore now described as ‘faux tortoise shell’. Suffice it to say, these needles are now quite rare.

The faux tortoise shell needles are selling for $AUD15 pair, or $AUD200 for the lot!

Buy Now

Faux tortoise shell knitting needles & needle box

These vintage faux tortoise shell knitting needles are much prized by knitters and artists alike : very collectable. Knitters like them because they are super flexible and so easier to work with, and artists refashion the needles into art / jewellery : see Etsy and Pinterest for examples. Because the material is very pliable, artists use hot water to mould the needles into new shapes/patterns.

This collection has twenty pairs of needles, up to needle gauge 6mm, this being the largest gauge made in this material.

The knitting needle box is made by Continental Plastics Pty Ltd, Melbourne [very continental!] – is a fantastic baby blue colour, with needles gauge sizes on the lid. If you were to collect these boxes – they come in a range of classic 50s pastel colours [baby blue, pink, yellow] although they were manufactured in the late 60s.

For sale: $AUD165

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