These cozy stamps began as real knitting
41c stamps designed by Nancy Stahl in 2007. ©USPS; all rights reserved.
Most stamps begin as works of art. These artworks are usually flat, but sometimes three-dimensional pieces become part of our postage.
Since 1970, two general themes of Christmas stamps have been issued yearly: one “traditional” and one “contemporary.”
For the 2007 “Holiday Knits” issue, the year’s contemporary stamps, illustrator Nancy Stahl combined her love of knitting with her design skills. Inspired by traditional Norwegian sweaters and handmade Christmas stockings, she knit the patterns that would become these cozy stamps. They include a dignified stag, a snow-dappled evergreen tree, and a snowman sporting a top hat.
Stahl’s knitwork—along with thousands of other unique pieces—make up the Postmasters General’s Collection, which is currently kept at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum.
See artworks that have inspired traditional postage in the museum’s virtual exhibit “The Art of Christmas Stamps.”