Did you have one? Launched in 1966, the Spirograph was totally the most fun you could have with some cardboard and paper and colourful pins. You needed the pens with the long nibs, too, to fit nicely in the holes in those plasticky circle things. And you needed a firm hand.
I had a Spirograph and an Sketch-a-graph too. Usually the Spirograph had me drawing very random scribbly shapes, as my hand veered off the circle cog and across the page. Un-co much?
The slightly related Sketch-a-graph was quite good also, because it allowed you to trace a drawing… but again it required a lot of patience and I never got great results.
I found this set at the Camberwell Market earlier this year. It once belonged to Janet Eggleshaw. I know this because her name is on a lot of the amazing Spirally works in the box. Go Janet. You do not have the scribbly, veery hand like me. Well done YOU!
xx Pip
ooh yes I used to have a spirograph I loved it have fun creating 🙂
"I'm fascinated, too, and have found some fun doing these myself: http://spirographicarts.tumblr.com/" Agree, great blog.
I'm fascinated, too, and have found some fun doing these myself: http://spirographicarts.tumblr.com/
This is really cool – takes me back to my childhood! I thought I was made when I got one of these for a birthday when I was little. I didn't realise they were from the 60s (got mine in the 80s). I was also a bit rubbish at keeping the wheel inside the circle and more often than not I ended up with a lot of partial spirals, all ending with a streak across the page!
I LOVED doing this as a kid! I had a whole set.
Hey Pip, I had a Spirograph too – felt like I was some sort of professional, or something, age 8! I LOVED this thing. And my brother stole mine too, Planet Janet. He became and architect!!! Anyway you saw it at Camberwell Market, Pip? In Melbourne, Camberwell Market??? I LOVE that market! We have moved around a lot and on our return to Oz we landed in Melbourne. Such great memories of happy Saturday shopping with very little children and fantastic food there.
Hi Pip!! I had totally forgotten about those! I LOVED mine when I was little! Just did a quick trip to Etsy and bought myself a little set 🙂 Soon my blog will just be pages and pages of my swirly masterpieces 😀
Spirograph was my favourite thing EVER as a kid! Unfortunately, "my" set lived at my great aunts – with the promise that one day I would be old enough and careful enough to take it home. It seems I never was… the pain… of having Spirograph… and of not having it at the same time. I picked up a pretend-y version of it recently, but it just isn't the same. Seeing this has brought back a string of memories – not all of them good – where did my set ever go???
One of my brothers stole mine from me (about 45 years ago) so I bought another one at a garage sale recently. At least I assume one of my brothers stole it because they always took my Beatles records.
:0
Spirograph–one of my best gifts ever. I made books full of shapes drawn with it. My husband got me a newer version years ago (I still had my original red one) so that I could have the "modern" shapes. And then of course, I had to get the Klutz version. Love it
Loved my spirograph! The same as yours pictured. Has the sketch-o-graph too but never the patience for it. My kids now have some newer version of the spirgraph. It's all a bit the same but the pieces just keep getting lost and being found in the most awkward and unlikely places around the house.
I had one and LOVED it! (but then I am strangely into geometry and such stuff!) I also had SPIRO-TOT which was like a kiddie version, a bit simpler and chunkier.
Perhaps one of those would have suited you better Pip?!!
Got an imitation-ish version of spirograph for my daughter, but a little disappointed she is not as excited as I was!
We were just playing with our one yesterday! 🙂
This just inspired me to go searching for my old set. I found it (which is quite a surprise) and I am also extremely un-coordinated, so don't worry you’re not alone!
woohh crazy memories.. im pretty sure my grandma showed me how this was done.. ohh i want one again!!
Yes! I'd forgotten all about it. Must hunt for one for when my little boy is coordinated enough…
I still have mine! Although it's just plastic shapes in bags, no instructions or special pens. I pulled it out a couple of weeks ago for my daughter and we had great fun trying to work it out.
My eldest brother had one and I longed for him to outgrow it… He never did!!! I am sure it was because I was longing so hard!!!
I had one as a kid. My mum has recently got it out again for the grandkids to have a go. The practice sheets look a lot like the ones in the pic. I spent hours on it and had fun again recently too.
Oh I forgot about this too, I use to play with it for ages. So much fun!
Love the draper-esque family portrait.
I had a spirograph kit in the 90's, and it would come out every school holidays for when we would catch the train from Brisbane to Newcastle. Hours of fun were had!
My sister had a spirograph and I was quite jealous. However, I had something she was equally jealous of – fashions plates! I have never seen a set of plates like the ones I had ever. Not even my friends had them. Back to spirograph though, my sister was also quite unco at using them and blamed her ultra left-handedness. I think she was just a bit impatient because I certainly was. She had a set of wonderfully long nibbed pens to go with the set. They were stripey. I think I was a bit jealous of them too!
Yes I had one, I think it belonged to my Uncle or something. I did love using it. If I see one in an op shop I'm grabbing it!
Oh gosh, I'd completely forgotten about my Spirograph! I spent hours upon hours doodling with that thing. Oh memory lane…