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Knitting Sample - Edda Azzola, Blue, Stripe Pattern, circa 1960s Reg. No: HT 28843

Summary:: Blue knitting sample, one of many made by Edda Azzola to test designs prior to making a garment. Edda Azzola, nee Pugnetti, was born in 1927 in Moggio Udinese in the Friuli region, northern Italy and the family moved to nearby Pontebba four years later. In Italy Edda and her two sisters worked as knitting machinists from the family home. Edda married Angelo Azzola, a young man from her village and they migrated to Australia in the mid 1950s.

In 1958 Edda purchased a knitting machine from an Italian girl who couldn't afford to take it back to Italy. She then made contact with a factory owner, Mr Richard (Ricardo), whose knitting factory was in Collingwood. He supplied the wool to produce clothes which were supplied to stores such as Georges, Myer and David Jones. Edda worked for Richard until the factory closed in 1974, working on the machine and finishing by hand. She worked 5-6 hours a day, depending on demand and deadlines and the work suited her as it allowed her the flexibility of working from home, and organizing her labour to suit her domestic needs. After 1974, Edda used the machine to make clothing for family and friends, including baby clothes for her grandchildren.
Description:: Small knitting sample. Blue coloured with a repeating striped pattern.
Acquisition Information:: Donation from Mrs Edda Azzola, 2010

Discipline:	History
Dimensions:	100 mm (Width), 670 mm (Length)

Tagged with:	italian communities, italian immigration, immigration, clothing trade, textile industry
Themes this item is part of:	Edda Azzola, Italian Migrant & Textile Worker, 1955, Migration Collection, Working Life & Trades Collection
Primary Classification:	MIGRATION
Secondary Classification:	Settlement - Employment
Tertiary Classification:	tools & equipment
Maker:	Mrs Edda Azzola, Reservoir, Victoria, Australia, circa 1960s
Manufactured For:	Ricardo Knitwear, Collingwood, Victoria, Australia, circa 1960s