I took up knitting about eight years ago. That’s when I started to collect vintage knitting patterns and couldn’t resist the patterns by The Jester Wool Company of Leicester. These are very distinctive as unlike all the others the pictures of the garments are drawn not photographed. The children’s patterns come in booklet form with a charming little paragraph about the child in the pattern, and precise washing instructions for Mum. I have tried to find out more information about The Jester Wool Company and the only thing I have found is an advert for Jester Wools that shows the trademark Jester alongside the words, ‘I’ve robbed the rainbow to make you Gay. Jester Wools for Gayer Garments’. The patterns appear to date from the early fifties and obviously the word ‘gay’ had different connotations then. If you have any information, please let me know. The children’s illustrations are very much in the Janet and John tradition and reinforce that wonderful cosy view of a fifties childhood.

Jester advert, 1953