Instruction manual for the Dubied Type M or MR hand knitting machine.A4 sized instruction book. Green stapled book with black text for headings on front page. Contains instructions and diagrams for the knitting machine. 64 pages.Dubied Neuchatel (Switzerland) Instructions for the Hand Knitting Machine Type M or MRknitting, machine, instructions, dubied

'Corio' brand hand knitting wool, produced in Geelong, Australia. The weight of 25 grammes indicates a date of manufacture after 1966.Three balls of 'Corio' brand woollen hand knitting yarn, produced in Geelong, Australia.Corio / 8 PLY / WOOLLEN / HAND KNITTING / YARN / MADE IN / GEELONG, AUSTRALIA. / 25 GRAMMES NET AT STANDARD CONDITIONShandicrafts

Specification manual for the Dubied Type MR hand knitting machine, which also forms part of the collection.10. N.P.I. 100 C/Mmachine knitting, sartori, mrs genitilia

Made by Christine Ballard in 2002 who was a visitor to the Museum in late 2001. The Christmas Crib is from a Jean Greenhowe pattern. Christine originally made 4 sets of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus to sell at her church fete. They were so successful she received 7 orders.Knitted nativity sceneknitting christmas, christmas, hand knitting, jerusalem, knitting

"Federaton Flora" was created by 13 members of the Geelong Handweavers and Spinners Guild Inc for the centenary of Federation in Australia. It won 1st prize in the Australian Sheep and Wool Show, Bendigo, 2000.Australian Sheep and Wool Show, Woolcraft Competitionhandicrafts, geelong handweavers and spinners guild inc., felting, hand spinning, hand knitting, weaving

"Federaton Flora" created by 13 members of the Geelong Handweavers and Spinners Guild Inc for the centenary of Federation in Australia. It won 1st prize in the Australian Sheep and Wool Show, Bendigo, 2000."Federation Flora" "Federation Flora" "Federation Flora" "Federation Flora" "Federation Flora" "Federation Flora" "Federation Flora"handicrafts, geelong handweavers and spinners guild inc., felting, hand spinning, hand knitting, weaving

Handknitted by Isobel McNamara. Layette reportedly from Ladies Home Journal 'Princess Elizabethe Layette for Price Charles (c 1948)Cream baby pilchers, handknitted with button crutch fastening and ribbon waist fastening.knitting, baby clothes, hand knitting, layette

Handknitted by Isobel McNamara. Layette reportedly from Home Journal 'Princess Elizabeth Layette for Prince Charles'. (C 1948).Cream baby pilchers, handknitted with hand embroidery on front leg with button crutch fastening and ribbon waist fastening. Refer to Supplementary File.Nilknitting, baby clothes, hand knitting, layette, embroidery

A4 size sheet outlining accessories to be found with the Dubied hand knitting machine.machine knitting, sartori, mrs genitilia

Specification manual for the Dubied Type MR hand knitting machine, which also forms part of the collection.machine knitting, sartori, mrs genitilia

Catalogue of reserve parts for the Dubied Type MR hand knitting machine, which also forms part of the collection.machine knitting, sartori, mrs genitilia

Sheet listing needle positions required for types of garments to be created and types of stitches, for Dubied hand knitting machine.machine knitting, sartori, mrs genitilia

Donated by Jean Cornell. It was owned by her Grandmother, Eliza Waite, who was born in Gippsland in 1867 & married a Cornish man John Tredilock & had five children. Eliza died in 1942 & grandfather died in 1945. Jean & her husband have lived in Mitcham since 1956.Cover made to hold knitting books. One side is hard board & the front cover is ply wood, handpainted with red (cottage) & green (trees). Two sides are tied together with brown wool & are bound with green linen binding.handcrafts, knitting, hand painted

This book is a sample book of the various types, thicknesses and colours of hand knitting yarn produced by the Villawood Textile Company under the trade name of 'Villawool' in c.1963. The illustration on the front cover was produced by a designer / design firm called 'Saxton'.Front cover of a book of Villawool knitting yarn samples produced by the Villawood Textile Company, c.1963.THE / FashioN / iN / kNiTTiNG / Villawool SAXTONhandicrafts knitting, villawood textile company, handicrafts, knitting

Knitted fabric is made with a single yarn or sets of yarns moving in only one direction. Whether done by hand or by machine, the process is the same. The knitting needle loops the yarn through itself to make a chain of stitches. These chains, or rows, are connected to produce the knitted cloth. There are two types of commercial knitting machine. A flat-bed has its needles, one for each loop, arranged in a straight line to produce a flat fabric. A circular machine has its needles arranged on a rotating circle. The cloth forms as a tube which can be made into seamless clothing. Griswold bench-type sock knitting machine hand operated by turning the handle.sock knitting machine, textile industry, wool, fashion, clothing

Victorian and Edwardian ladies adorned their hats with various bird feathers. Although living conditions in Moorabbin Shire c1910, were basic families still held onto their traditional English and European customs and took pride in presenting elements of refined society. Gladys Reed was a member of the Ormond Choral Society c 1950. who performed plays and musicals the City of Moorabbin and she was skilled in craftwork, hand knitting, crochet and dressmaking. Her garments were used by her family and the Ormond Choral Society C1910 Women in Moorabbin Shire followed the fashion from Europe and made their own clothes and accessories using their dressmaking, craftwork and design skills 8 x feathers of various sizes and colours for adorning a Lady's hat c 1910 a) Blue & b) White Ostrich, c) Black Cockerel, d) Black Emu Feathers. e) Brown stripped Coque Diamond Tail f) Pink dyed ostrich, g) Black duck, h) black fur clothing, millinery, hat feathers, haberdashery, crochet, doilies, brighton, moorabbin, pioneers, dressmaking, market gardeners, early settlers, craftwork , bentleigh, lacework, moorabbin shire,reed gladys, clark judy, dairy farms, fruit orchards, footwear, shoes, buckles, clothing, silver, pewter, brass, victorian fashion, edwardian fashion, mckinnon, moorabbin, cheltenham, wedding dresses, evening wear,

20th C and probably earlier families could make this simple 'knitting machine' by using a piece of round, hollow wood and knocking 4 nails into one end of the cylinder leaving a protrusion of 2cm. An empty cotton reel was commonly used with left over knitting wool. Children were taught to wind the wool around the nails in loops, figure of 8 and other patterns so that a chain was made which gradually protruded through the base of the cylinder as a knitted chain. The chains could be made to any length and then sewn together to make a usable object eg face washer.Gladys Reed was a member of the Ormond Choral Society c 1950. who performed plays and musicals the City of Moorabbin and she was skilled in hand knitting, crochet and dressmakingGladys Reed was a member of the Ormond Choral Society c 1950. who performed plays and musicals in the City of Moorabbin and this Doll was made and used by her family.c1950A small piece of painted, carved wood with central hollow and 4 nails on top used for making/ knitting a woollen chain.Painted doll featuresknitting, clothing, haberdashery, crochet, doilies, brighton, moorabbin, pioneers, dressmaking, market gardeners, early settlers, craftwork , bentleigh, lacework, moorabbin shire, reed gladys, dairy farms, fruit orchards

Gladys Reed was a member of the Ormond Choral Society c 1950. who performed plays and musicals the City of Moorabbin and she was skilled in hand knitting, crochet and dressmaking. Her garments were used by her family and the Ormond Choral Society . Patons' & Baldwin Ltd began as two separate companies: J & J Baldwin and Partners, founded in the late 1770s by James Baldwin of Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, and John Paton Son & Co., founded in 1814 by John Paton of Alloa, Scotland. The two companies merged in 1920 and diversified into producing wool for home knitters, as well as publishing knitting patterns under the "Patons Rose" and "Baldwins Beehive" trademark. By the mid-1930s, the company had establishments across Scotland and Northern England, Canada, New Zealand, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.Patons' knitting books have been used by hand knitters in many countries since they were published early in 20thC Gladys Reed and other residents of the City of Moorabbin used these pattern guides to make clothing for their families and community c1940A printed black and white booklet with 31 pages of knitting instructions and photographs c 1940Front Cover ; Patons / Knitting Book / No. 182 / 'Rhumba' See page 14 'Swing" See page 15 / 6d ( decimal = 5cents) Back Cover ; Patons / No. 182 / Knitting Book / 'Fandango ' /See page 17 / 'Tarantella' /See page 18knitting, crochet, craftwork, john paton son & co., baldwin j &j ltd, aloa scotland, launceston tasmania, melbourne, knitting mills, knitting books, coates j&p ltd, early settlers, moorabbin shire, mechanics institute cheltenham, ormond choral society, postworld war 11 settlers, housing estates moorabbin 1950, bentleigh, ormond, moorabbin, cheltenham, drama societies, musical society cheltenham, clark judy, reed gladys, reed george

These knitting pattern leaflets were published by Patons and Baldwins and contain knitting patterns for women's and men's garments. Patons & Baldwin began as two separate companies: J & J Baldwin and Partners, founded in the late 1770s by James Baldwin of Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, and John Paton Son and Co., founded in 1814 by John Paton of Alloa, Scotland. Both men had formed their businesses using the spinning mule developed by Samuel Crompton. They mainly produced yarns for commercial knitting machines. Patons established itself in Australia with its first mill built in Tasmania in 1923. For decades, Patons was the leading hand knitting yarn brand but due to the market conditions in the mid 1980's, Patons felt the decline and eventually amalgamated with Alliance Textiles, New Zealand in 1996. Patons Australia was acquired by Australian Country Spinners in 2000. Knitting has always had a great appeal to women, as it needs few tools. Companies which manufactured yarn often produced instruction guides and patterns. These pattern books are typical of the knitting pattern books commonly used in the mid 20th century. The patterns contained are for garments commonly worn at that time.Two knitting pattern books. Both are black / white and contain knitting patterns. 821.1 cost 7d, is titled "Patons Specialty Knitting Book No. 145" and has on the front cover a lady standing near a buggy wheel. 821.2 cost 1/3, is titled " Patons Knitting Book No. 394 (introducing Patons Double Quick Knitting)" and has has on the front cover a photograph of a man on a boat.knitting-patterns needlecraft patons-baldwin

This knitting pattern leaflet was published by Patons and Baldwins and contains knitting patterns for women's garments. Patons & Baldwin began as two separate companies: J & J Baldwin and Partners, founded in the late 1770s by James Baldwin of Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, and John Paton Son and Co., founded in 1814 by John Paton of Alloa, Scotland. Both men had formed their businesses using the spinning mule developed by Samuel Crompton. They mainly produced yarns for commercial knitting machines. Patons established itself in Australia with its first mill built in Tasmania in 1923. For decades, Patons was the leading hand knitting yarn brand but due to the market conditions in the mid 1980's, Patons felt the decline and eventually amalgamated with Alliance Textiles, New Zealand in 1996. Patons Australia was acquired by Australian Country Spinners in 2000.Knitting has always had a great appeal to women, as it needs few tools. Companies which manufactured yarn often produced instruction guides and patterns. This pattern book is typical of the knitting pattern books commonly used in the mid 20th century. The patterns contained are for garments worn at that time.A seven page stapled booklet of knitting patterns. It is titled Patons Knitting Book No. 444, Ladies' and Girls' Gloves and Hats. It has a price 1/3.On the front cover are photos of the garments for which the patterns are provided.knitting handicrafts patons-and-baldwins

Used by the mother-in-law of the donor who spent a lot of their adult life living in Asia prior to WWII.Cardboard folded case that unfolds to reveal 62 bamboo knitting needles stored via elastic ties. There is one labelled fold with knitting needle sizes and several instances of printed text containing English numbers and Japanese characters. When folded up, the item is secured with a push button. The front cover has a blue sticker which depicts two hands with knitting needles, there is also yellow and white text.

In 1910, Portland Knitting Company began in downtown Portland, Oregon, with a few hand-knitting machines above a tiny retail store. Little did founders Carl Jantzen, Roy and John Zehntbauer know that they would achieve both fame and controversy as swimwear pioneers. Producing a wool suit for a rowing team they began offering "bathing suits" in their catalog. Knit on sweater cuff machines, the suits became popular with swimmers. The demand increased for those "Jantzens" and the company name was changed in 1918 to Jantzen Knitting Mills. The suits were made of 100% pure virgin wool. Matching stockings and stocking cap completed the costume of the day. Early advertisements guaranteed the famous rib-stitch "gives that wonderful fit". c1930 Jantzen catalogs featured upcoming movie stars, including Loretta Young, Joan Blondell, Ginger Rogers, and Dick Powell. National magazines such as Esquire, the Saturday Evening Post, Life, and Colliers published advertisements illustrated by George Petty. 2010 Jantzen has achieved new levels of success this decade through social media, attracting thousands of fans around the world who share their own memories about their favorite Jantzen suits throughout the decades Early settlers and market gardeners established their families in Moorabbin Shire c1900 and after World War 1 soldiers were assisted to purchase land near the railway line. By 1930 the population had grown with new families who had other occupations - office workers in Melbourne, tradesmen, teachers, etc - and they raised their families in Bentleigh, McKinnon, Ormond, Moorabbin and Cheltenham.Early settlers and market gardeners established their families in Moorabbin Shire c1900 and after World War 1 soldiers were assisted to purchase land near the railway line. By 1930 the population had grown with new families who had other occupations - office workers in Melbourne, tradesmen, teachers, etc - and they raised their families in Bentleigh, McKinnon, Ormond, Moorabbin and Cheltenham. Clothing, men's swim costume wool, 'Jantzen' c1930 clothing, brighton, moorabbin, pioneers, market gardeners, early settlers, moorabbin shire, bentleigh, mckinnon, dairy farms, fruit orchards, swimwear

Gladys Reed was a member of the Ormond Choral Society c 1950. who performed plays and musicals the City of Moorabbin and she was skilled in hand knitting, crochet and dressmaking. Her garments were used by her family and the Ormond Choral Society . Patons' & Baldwin Ltd began as two separate companies: J & J Baldwin and Partners, founded in the late 1770s by James Baldwin of Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, and John Paton Son & Co., founded in 1814 by John Paton of Alloa, Scotland. Both men had formed their businesses using the spinning mule developed by Samuel Crompton. They mainly produced yarns for commercial knitting machines. The two companies merged in 1920 and diversified into producing wool for home knitters, as well as publishing knitting patterns under the "Patons Rose" and "Baldwins Beehive" trademark. By the mid-1930s, the company had establishments across Scotland and Northern England, Canada, New Zealand, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. The company branched out into various related lines of business, and the development of new products such as nylon and Terylene. In 1961, the company was merged with J & P Coats Ltd. The Patons trademark is still in use today.The yarn production facility at Alloa was closed in 1999 and the large factory in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia,closed in 1997. In 1952 J. & P. Coats and the Clark Thread Co. merged.and in 1961 a merger with Patons and Baldwins created Coats Patons. In 2015 the business returned to the market as "Coats Group".Patons' knitting books have been used by hand knitters in many countries since they were published early in 20thC Gladys Reed and other residents of the City of Moorabbin used these pattern guides to make clothing for their families and community c1950A printed paper booklet with 64 pages of knitting and crochet patterns, instructions, photographs bound by 2 metal staplesFront Cover ; UNIVERSAL/ KNITTING BOOK / SIXTH / ED / ITION / PRICE / NINE / PENCE / Photo of lady knitting / Trade Mark / JOHN PATON, SON & CO. / BRANCH OF PATONS & BALDWINS LTD. / ALLOA / LONDON, MANCHESTER / MELBOURNE / MONTREAL Written top right ; G Reed Back Cover ; Trade Mark / Registered / THIS TRADE MARK / IS YOUR GUARANTEE / WHEN BUYING / PATONS' ALLOA / KNITTING WOOLS knitting, crochet, craftwork, john paton son & co., baldwin j &j ltd, aloa scotland, launceston tasmania, melbourne, knitting mills, knitting books, coates j&p ltd, early settlers, moorabbin shire, mechanics institute cheltenham, ormond choral society, postworld war 11 settlers, housing estates moorabbin 1950, bentleigh, ormond, moorabbin, cheltenham, drama societies, musical society cheltenham, clark judy, reed gladys, reed george

The attached card states - 'Mother's knitting stick'. There is a brass hole one end with four brass nails where the tip of a knitting needle is inserted for support. The curved and fits into a belt or tape around the waist. Knitting was carried out on curved metal needles, one of these needed to be kept rigid by being held between the hand and knitting sheath held at the side of the body either tucked into a belt or held under the armpit. The sheath would allow someone to to knit with one hand whilst performing chores with the other. They also took the weight of the work and stopped stitches from slipping off the bottom of a double ended needle. Many were given as love tokens but there were plenty made by men for their daughters or other close family members.An antique curved carved wooden knitting stick or treen Knitting Sheath for hand knitters. It is approximately 23cm (9 inches) long with simple carving on one side of M H R in large letters as well as a nine pointed star next to them. There is a brass hole one end with four brass nails where the tip of a knitting needle is inserted for support. The curved end fits into a belt or tape round the waist. 'M H R' and a 'nine pointed star' is carved into the curved part of the stick . There is an attached card - 'Grandma's (crossed out) Mother's knitting stick. When using four needles the "working" one goes into the hole at the brass end of stick. Curved end fits into belt or tape round waist'accessories, knitting equipment, knitting

The Ruyton Reporter (formerly known as Ruyton Reports) captures the essential Ruyton Girls' School experience for the broader school community. It has been produced since 1986.The record has strong historic significance as it pertains to one of the oldest girls' school in Victoria, Australia. Ruyton was founded in 1878 in the Bulleen Road, Kew, home of newly widowed Mrs Charlotte Anderson (now High Street South). Thus, the record can be used as a reference example for research into Victorian school history. It also gives insight into the types of activities and events undertaken at Ruyton Girls' School during the period of its production. The record's significance is further enhanced by its exceptionally well-documented provenance, having remained the property of Ruyton Girls' School since its production.Colour publication printed on paper with staple binding. 12 pages.Front Page: THE R RUYTON / RECTE ET FIDE LITER / Reporter / AUTUMN EDITION 1993 / Yes, Dick Hamer / was a dab hand / at knitting in / 1922. But then, / so too was his / brother, Alan, / (who became / The Managing / Director of ICI / Australia). / PRE-PREP / PROVES / GREAT / SUCCESS / Yes, that's young Rupert, a future Premier / of Victoria, and his brother Alan at Little / Ruyton in 1922. Now Sir Rupert will / return to officially open the new 'Little / Ruyton' in May. Photograph courtesy of / The Herald-Sun. /ruyton girls' school, ruyton, school, students, newsletter, ruyton reports, ruyton news, kew, victoria, melbourne, girls school

Knitting, as a household task, has been traced back to 1100 AD where archaeologists in Egypt found remnants of socks. Evidently socks or stockings became a household necessity and creating them by knitting was the easiest way to get a good fit. The Tudors wore hand knit caps and King Henry the VIII made hand knit silk stockings, imported from Spain, a fashion staple. Meanwhile in Paris in 1525, men formed one of the first worker's unions for hand knitters. Knitting by machine first appeared during this same period and with the spread of fashion of the silk stockings and the basic needs of people to keep warm helped to fuel the popularity of knitting. By the 1850's, knitting machines were common place and apprenticing in such a factory, was considered honourable employment. But the main tool of knitting has always remained the needle, that is said to have it's origins in Arabia. The first needles were made of copper and looked more like hooks than needles. In other locations around the world, knitting needles have been found constructed from wood, ivory, bone, bamboo, amber and iron as well. They are also known as woods, skewers or wires depending where in the world they are found. Context: Edwin Rodgers was born in Lincolnshire England estimated at 1830-1832, records document that he was working as a Miller in Jan 1863 and that he resided in Warrnambool until his death in 1887. The knitting needle case is believed to belong to his wife Ellen Amelia (nee Heywood), daughter of George Heywood and Dinah Turton. She had married Mr Edwin Rodgers on 30 Jan 1863 in Warrnambool, and they had continued to resided in Warrnambool. Ellen Amelia Heywood was born Oct to Dec 1839 in Stockport, Cheshire England & christened on 5 Jul 1840 in St Thomas, Stockport, Cheshire. She died on 8 Dec 1922 in 284 Merri Street, Warrnambool, Victoria 10 and was buried on 11 Dec 1922 in the Warrnambool Cemetery.A significant item that belonged to one of the early families of Warrnambool and as such is regarded by the Warrnambool community as significant because it helps to document Warrnambool's development.Medium sized cardboard foldable maroon knitting pin case with numbered sections to fit relevant sized metal pins 10 in all case called the peacock knitting pin case.On lid of case written in italic Mrs E A Rodgers, Warrnambool 1860-1922, Wife of Edwin Rodgersflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

Part of a selection of garments knitted by ‘Tina Knitwear’. Tina Knitwear was a successful made to order knitwear business in Brighton from the mid-1960s to around 2010, run by Assunta and Franco Liburti. Daughter Melissa Persi writes: Our parents Assunta (Mum) and Franco (Dad) Liburti ran a successful made to order knitwear business in Brighton from the mid-1960s to around 2010. Assunta was affectionately known to her family as Assuntina, therefore the business was named "Tina Knitwear" after her. Assunta and Franco were born in the beautiful seaside town of Terracina in Italy in 1933 and 1930 respectively. As was so common in Italy in the 1950s, Assunta who was in her late teens and early twenties learnt the intricate skills of machine knitting, dressmaking and pattern making. Franco on the other hand, learnt the building trade with his 2 brothers and specialised in bricklaying and tiling. As was so common after the war, Assunta and Franco yearned for a better life so they decided that they would get engaged and then migrate to Australia to be married and raise their family in Australia, a land of much opportunity which they no longer felt their beloved Italy held for them. Assunta migrated to Australia first in 1957 and later Franco joined her in 1958 where they were married. For the first few years, Franco (also known as Frank) worked as bricklayer /tiler on buildings such as the Robert Menzies building at Monash University in Clayton and various buildings in the Melbourne CBD. Assunta on the other hand put her machine knitting skills to use working in factories doing piece machine knitting for various knitwear companies. The hours were long, the conditions were difficult, and travel was onerous without a car. After their 2 older children were born, it was decided that dad would leave the building trade and they would start their own made to order knitwear business. That way they could work from home and raise their family together. Mum taught dad everything he needed to know so he could operate the knitwear machinery. They purchased COPPO knitting machines from Italy and a Linking machine from Germany. Initially they had a knitwear shopfront in Bay Street Brighton where a store assistant would take the orders and client’s measurements and Assunta would then make the garments from a small workshop in their home. Unfortunately, the assistants were not skilled dressmakers and often measurements and orders were incorrectly taken. Assunta being the perfectionist and highly skilled machinist that she was, decided that she needed to oversee the entire process from meeting the client, to taking their order, right thru to the fittings and completion of the garment. It therefore made sense that they should close the shop front and run their business from their own home in Brighton and hence “Tina Knitwear” was born. Together, for more than 40 years they ran their very respected and successful business and were well known in the Bayside area. They specialised in made to order knitwear for both men and women using mainly pure wool (from Patons, Wangaratta Mills, Japan and Italy) but also lurex and estacel. Over those years, many of their clients became their close friends. It wasn't unusual for clients to come to order garments and then end up in the kitchen chatting over a cup of Italian espresso coffee and homemade biscuits. Some of their clients were especially memorable and became lifelong friends. Mrs Connell was a dear friend of mum’s, each year she would buy tickets for the “Gown of the Year” fashion show. She would insist on taking Assunta and her 2 daughters so that we could see the latest fashions. Then there was their dear friend Ms Griffiths. She had been a Matron nurse at the Queen Victoria Hospital when she met my parents in the 1970s. She returned to live in New Zealand in the 1980s but came back to Melbourne every year to stay for 2 weeks with the sole purpose of visiting my parents (she adored them) and order garments. For those 2 solid weeks, mum and dad would only knit for Ms Griffiths and she would go back to New Zealand with at least 5 or 6 new outfits. I actually think she enjoyed mum’s homemade pasta almost as much as her new clothes! Over the years, my parents learnt to speak English very well given that majority of their clients were not Italian speaking. Their oldest child John born in 1960 learnt to speak English with the help of those clients who were such a big part of our childhood. Mum and dad always went above and beyond to ensure their clients were satisfied. Mum was an absolute perfectionist and it showed in her attention to detail and the quality of their beautiful work. You only need to look at the garments that have stood the test of time or speak to their clients to know that this is true. Their clients would always comment on how well their clothes would last and much of their clients came via word of mouth and recommendations. Occasionally there would be disagreements because mum had found an error in dad's knitting (either a wrong stitch or a sizing mistake mainly) and would ask him to redo a piece, he would argue back saying that it was fine, but we always knew who would win the argument and that the piece would get remade! Similarly, we recall discussions where mum would ask dad to find a particular colour of wool in the garage where the stock was kept. He would try to convince her that they were out of stock of that colour and that the client should choose a different colour. She would insist they had it and then after hours of searching, he would return into the house sheepishly holding the wool! Our childhood is full of beautiful memories of mum and dad always being present, clients coming and going, mum humming her favourite songs as she worked often late into the night and sometimes, we even fell asleep to the hum of the machinery. They put their heart and soul into "Tina Knitwear" and took pride in providing only the best quality garments for their clients. In Italian there is a saying “lei ha le mani d’oro” which literally translated means “she has hands of gold”. Franco enjoyed his work but for Assunta, it was more than just work and there is no better way to describe her skills, passion and dedication to her machine knitting… she truly did have “hands of gold”. We will forever be grateful that our parents’ life journey gave us the opportunity to live in a home filled with creativity, dedication and passion, amazing work ethic and mutual respect, lifelong friendships and a lifetime of love. Red ribbed skirt with elastic waistband.knitwear, clothing, italy, migrants, brighton, knitting machine, linking machine, garments, business, family, community

Part of a selection of garments knitted by ‘Tina Knitwear’. Tina Knitwear was a successful made to order knitwear business in Brighton from the mid-1960s to around 2010, run by Assunta and Franco Liburti. Daughter Melissa Persi writes: Our parents Assunta (Mum) and Franco (Dad) Liburti ran a successful made to order knitwear business in Brighton from the mid-1960s to around 2010. Assunta was affectionately known to her family as Assuntina, therefore the business was named "Tina Knitwear" after her. Assunta and Franco were born in the beautiful seaside town of Terracina in Italy in 1933 and 1930 respectively. As was so common in Italy in the 1950s, Assunta who was in her late teens and early twenties learnt the intricate skills of machine knitting, dressmaking and pattern making. Franco on the other hand, learnt the building trade with his 2 brothers and specialised in bricklaying and tiling. As was so common after the war, Assunta and Franco yearned for a better life so they decided that they would get engaged and then migrate to Australia to be married and raise their family in Australia, a land of much opportunity which they no longer felt their beloved Italy held for them. Assunta migrated to Australia first in 1957 and later Franco joined her in 1958 where they were married. For the first few years, Franco (also known as Frank) worked as bricklayer /tiler on buildings such as the Robert Menzies building at Monash University in Clayton and various buildings in the Melbourne CBD. Assunta on the other hand put her machine knitting skills to use working in factories doing piece machine knitting for various knitwear companies. The hours were long, the conditions were difficult, and travel was onerous without a car. After their 2 older children were born, it was decided that dad would leave the building trade and they would start their own made to order knitwear business. That way they could work from home and raise their family together. Mum taught dad everything he needed to know so he could operate the knitwear machinery. They purchased COPPO knitting machines from Italy and a Linking machine from Germany. Initially they had a knitwear shopfront in Bay Street Brighton where a store assistant would take the orders and client’s measurements and Assunta would then make the garments from a small workshop in their home. Unfortunately, the assistants were not skilled dressmakers and often measurements and orders were incorrectly taken. Assunta being the perfectionist and highly skilled machinist that she was, decided that she needed to oversee the entire process from meeting the client, to taking their order, right thru to the fittings and completion of the garment. It therefore made sense that they should close the shop front and run their business from their own home in Brighton and hence “Tina Knitwear” was born. Together, for more than 40 years they ran their very respected and successful business and were well known in the Bayside area. They specialised in made to order knitwear for both men and women using mainly pure wool (from Patons, Wangaratta Mills, Japan and Italy) but also lurex and estacel. Over those years, many of their clients became their close friends. It wasn't unusual for clients to come to order garments and then end up in the kitchen chatting over a cup of Italian espresso coffee and homemade biscuits. Some of their clients were especially memorable and became lifelong friends. Mrs Connell was a dear friend of mum’s, each year she would buy tickets for the “Gown of the Year” fashion show. She would insist on taking Assunta and her 2 daughters so that we could see the latest fashions. Then there was their dear friend Ms Griffiths. She had been a Matron nurse at the Queen Victoria Hospital when she met my parents in the 1970s. She returned to live in New Zealand in the 1980s but came back to Melbourne every year to stay for 2 weeks with the sole purpose of visiting my parents (she adored them) and order garments. For those 2 solid weeks, mum and dad would only knit for Ms Griffiths and she would go back to New Zealand with at least 5 or 6 new outfits. I actually think she enjoyed mum’s homemade pasta almost as much as her new clothes! Over the years, my parents learnt to speak English very well given that majority of their clients were not Italian speaking. Their oldest child John born in 1960 learnt to speak English with the help of those clients who were such a big part of our childhood. Mum and dad always went above and beyond to ensure their clients were satisfied. Mum was an absolute perfectionist and it showed in her attention to detail and the quality of their beautiful work. You only need to look at the garments that have stood the test of time or speak to their clients to know that this is true. Their clients would always comment on how well their clothes would last and much of their clients came via word of mouth and recommendations. Occasionally there would be disagreements because mum had found an error in dad's knitting (either a wrong stitch or a sizing mistake mainly) and would ask him to redo a piece, he would argue back saying that it was fine, but we always knew who would win the argument and that the piece would get remade! Similarly, we recall discussions where mum would ask dad to find a particular colour of wool in the garage where the stock was kept. He would try to convince her that they were out of stock of that colour and that the client should choose a different colour. She would insist they had it and then after hours of searching, he would return into the house sheepishly holding the wool! Our childhood is full of beautiful memories of mum and dad always being present, clients coming and going, mum humming her favourite songs as she worked often late into the night and sometimes, we even fell asleep to the hum of the machinery. They put their heart and soul into "Tina Knitwear" and took pride in providing only the best quality garments for their clients. In Italian there is a saying “lei ha le mani d’oro” which literally translated means “she has hands of gold”. Franco enjoyed his work but for Assunta, it was more than just work and there is no better way to describe her skills, passion and dedication to her machine knitting… she truly did have “hands of gold”. We will forever be grateful that our parents’ life journey gave us the opportunity to live in a home filled with creativity, dedication and passion, amazing work ethic and mutual respect, lifelong friendships and a lifetime of love. Red wide ribbed pleated skirt with a plain yoke, navy blue band at bottom edge and elasticated waistband. A purple x is located inside to mark centre back of skirt.knitwear, clothing, italy, migrants, brighton, knitting machine, linking machine, garments, business, family, community

Franco Liburti was wearing this coat when he farewelled his wife Assunta in Naples, Italy in 1957, the day she departed for Australia. Tina Knitwear was a successful made to order knitwear business in Brighton from the mid-1960s to around 2010, run by Assunta and Franco Liburti. Daughter Melissa Persi writes: Our parents Assunta (Mum) and Franco (Dad) Liburti ran a successful made to order knitwear business in Brighton from the mid-1960s to around 2010. Assunta was affectionately known to her family as Assuntina, therefore the business was named "Tina Knitwear" after her. Assunta and Franco were born in the beautiful seaside town of Terracina in Italy in 1933 and 1930 respectively. As was so common in Italy in the 1950s, Assunta who was in her late teens and early twenties learnt the intricate skills of machine knitting, dressmaking and pattern making. Franco on the other hand, learnt the building trade with his 2 brothers and specialised in bricklaying and tiling. As was so common after the war, Assunta and Franco yearned for a better life so they decided that they would get engaged and then migrate to Australia to be married and raise their family in Australia, a land of much opportunity which they no longer felt their beloved Italy held for them. Assunta migrated to Australia first in 1957 and later Franco joined her in 1958 where they were married. For the first few years, Franco (also known as Frank) worked as bricklayer /tiler on buildings such as the Robert Menzies building at Monash University in Clayton and various buildings in the Melbourne CBD. Assunta on the other hand put her machine knitting skills to use working in factories doing piece machine knitting for various knitwear companies. The hours were long, the conditions were difficult, and travel was onerous without a car. After their 2 older children were born, it was decided that dad would leave the building trade and they would start their own made to order knitwear business. That way they could work from home and raise their family together. Mum taught dad everything he needed to know so he could operate the knitwear machinery. They purchased COPPO knitting machines from Italy and a Linking machine from Germany. Initially they had a knitwear shopfront in Bay Street Brighton where a store assistant would take the orders and client’s measurements and Assunta would then make the garments from a small workshop in their home. Unfortunately, the assistants were not skilled dressmakers and often measurements and orders were incorrectly taken. Assunta being the perfectionist and highly skilled machinist that she was, decided that she needed to oversee the entire process from meeting the client, to taking their order, right thru to the fittings and completion of the garment. It therefore made sense that they should close the shop front and run their business from their own home in Brighton and hence “Tina Knitwear” was born. Together, for more than 40 years they ran their very respected and successful business and were well known in the Bayside area. They specialised in made to order knitwear for both men and women using mainly pure wool (from Patons, Wangaratta Mills, Japan and Italy) but also lurex and estacel. Over those years, many of their clients became their close friends. It wasn't unusual for clients to come to order garments and then end up in the kitchen chatting over a cup of Italian espresso coffee and homemade biscuits. Some of their clients were especially memorable and became lifelong friends. Mrs Connell was a dear friend of mum’s, each year she would buy tickets for the “Gown of the Year” fashion show. She would insist on taking Assunta and her 2 daughters so that we could see the latest fashions. Then there was their dear friend Ms Griffiths. She had been a Matron nurse at the Queen Victoria Hospital when she met my parents in the 1970s. She returned to live in New Zealand in the 1980s but came back to Melbourne every year to stay for 2 weeks with the sole purpose of visiting my parents (she adored them) and order garments. For those 2 solid weeks, mum and dad would only knit for Ms Griffiths and she would go back to New Zealand with at least 5 or 6 new outfits. I actually think she enjoyed mum’s homemade pasta almost as much as her new clothes! Over the years, my parents learnt to speak English very well given that majority of their clients were not Italian speaking. Their oldest child John born in 1960 learnt to speak English with the help of those clients who were such a big part of our childhood. Mum and dad always went above and beyond to ensure their clients were satisfied. Mum was an absolute perfectionist and it showed in her attention to detail and the quality of their beautiful work. You only need to look at the garments that have stood the test of time or speak to their clients to know that this is true. Their clients would always comment on how well their clothes would last and much of their clients came via word of mouth and recommendations. Occasionally there would be disagreements because mum had found an error in dad's knitting (either a wrong stitch or a sizing mistake mainly) and would ask him to redo a piece, he would argue back saying that it was fine, but we always knew who would win the argument and that the piece would get remade! Similarly, we recall discussions where mum would ask dad to find a particular colour of wool in the garage where the stock was kept. He would try to convince her that they were out of stock of that colour and that the client should choose a different colour. She would insist they had it and then after hours of searching, he would return into the house sheepishly holding the wool! Our childhood is full of beautiful memories of mum and dad always being present, clients coming and going, mum humming her favourite songs as she worked often late into the night and sometimes, we even fell asleep to the hum of the machinery. They put their heart and soul into "Tina Knitwear" and took pride in providing only the best quality garments for their clients. In Italian there is a saying “lei ha le mani d’oro” which literally translated means “she has hands of gold”. Franco enjoyed his work but for Assunta, it was more than just work and there is no better way to describe her skills, passion and dedication to her machine knitting… she truly did have “hands of gold”. We will forever be grateful that our parents’ life journey gave us the opportunity to live in a home filled with creativity, dedication and passion, amazing work ethic and mutual respect, lifelong friendships and a lifetime of love. Men's coat featuring a charcoal herringbone weave, with three buttons down the front and on each sleeve cuff.knitwear, clothing, italy, migrants, brighton, knitting machine, linking machine, garments, business, family, community, naples