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Knitting Pattern

1980s (published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This knitting pattern to create a jumper features the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents' road safety character Tufty Fluffingtail. Created by Elsie Mills in 1953, Tufty featured in a number of books and safety instructions for the society and in 1961 the Tufty Club was set up as a nationwide network of local groups. At the club meetings, usually once a month, children were told stories, encouraged to join in games, read the Tufty books together and take home the message of road safety. This craft pattern would have been produced to capitalise on the Tufty club phenomenon, which by 1973 had more than 10 000 affiliated clubs and over two million members.
Although Tufty was restylised in 1979, and again in 1993, his presence in RoSPA campaigns has much diminished over the ensuing years. Local Tufty clubs have been wound down and little merchandise is available on their website, but he is still used by the RoSPA in publications and educational packs for schools.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Offset lithography on paper
Brief description
Knitting pattern leaflet for a Tufty Fluffytail jumper published by Robin, 1980s.
Physical description
Leaflet featuring the company's name in grey on the top front cover, and a colour photograph below of a girl on a bike wearing the jumper knitted as in the pattern inside.
Dimensions
  • Height: 23.9cm
  • Width: 17.2cm
  • Width: 34.3cm (unfolded)
Production typeMass produced
Credit line
Given by J M Harvey on behalf of the Theydon Bois Tufty Club
Subjects depicted
Literary referenceTufty Fluffytail by Elsie Mills MBE
Summary
This knitting pattern to create a jumper features the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents' road safety character Tufty Fluffingtail. Created by Elsie Mills in 1953, Tufty featured in a number of books and safety instructions for the society and in 1961 the Tufty Club was set up as a nationwide network of local groups. At the club meetings, usually once a month, children were told stories, encouraged to join in games, read the Tufty books together and take home the message of road safety. This craft pattern would have been produced to capitalise on the Tufty club phenomenon, which by 1973 had more than 10 000 affiliated clubs and over two million members.
Although Tufty was restylised in 1979, and again in 1993, his presence in RoSPA campaigns has much diminished over the ensuing years. Local Tufty clubs have been wound down and little merchandise is available on their website, but he is still used by the RoSPA in publications and educational packs for schools.
Collection
Accession number
B.114-2011

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Record createdJanuary 6, 2012
Record URL
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