A Darker, Less Helpful Time

I mentioned that I've been given some bits and pieces from some old knit stashes... a few interesting books, some needles, and some yarn.

This was in one of the bags.


I'm guessing by the price ($3.79) that it dates to the 1980s. And it's awful.

In so many ways, it's awful.

Oh, the colour is nice -- simple, clear white. No issues with that.

And it looks pretty good -- a mohairy sort of thing. I like a good mohair.

Here's what's awful about it.... look at the back of the label.



Let me count the ways.

There's the fibre content -- 36% Acrylic, 30% Viscose, 24% Mohair and 10% Nylon.

And yet even with all that, they demand it be washed by hand.

Then I look for the normal info I'm used to finding on a yarn label... a gauge, maybe? Yardage info? There's nothing. Yeah, ok, a suggested needle size -- which in itself is sorta an odd one.

I wonder how much of the fall in popularity of knitting in the 1970s and 80s can be blamed on this sort of idiocy? If you don't provide gauge or yardage, you are dooming this yarn to be used only for the patterns published, for all but the most adventurous of knitters.

I can sort of understand a yarn company wanting to drive more sales of their own patterns, but knitters like to have options. Knitters want to be able to fall in love with a yarn and find a pattern that suits their own tastes. And to be limited to the handful of patterns that are published by the yarn company seems just frustrating. Not to mention foolish as a sales strategy.

A darker, less helpful time.