I love yarn. I love old yarn. I love those labels on old yarn. 

This probably reveals too much about the depths on my obsession with the whole making-things-with-yarn hobby. Perhaps I should be keeping this particular passion to myself. It may make me look like a weirdo. But… I do love those old yarn labels. I had so much fun going through my stash and reading them all. Again.

And maybe there are a few fellow weirdos out there that will enjoy all the pictures of my old yarn labels! Maybe they will even share a few of their own. I can’t be the only one…. right?

Some of these old labels remind me of things I knew but forgot. Like Acrilan! It used to be everywhere, or at least that’s the way I remember it. And I do remember when JCPenney’s sold yarn.

I don’t remember it being 77 cents though.

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I like the way all my old yarn is labeled “mothproof”. The acrylic, the nylon, the cotton and even stuff like this:

If its an animal fiber and its labeled “mothproof” that company is either

a) lying to you, or

b) added a pesticide to the dye bath. Its not really, completely mothproof but the theory is that when moth larva eat your yarn they will die. Maybe.

(I’m sticking with all the anti-bug strategies that I shared in my How to Keep Bugs Out of Your Stash post. I’m not putting my faith in modern chemistry, lol. Also, I’ve added a new strategy since I wrote that post. A friend  told me that she uses peppermint and spearmint teabags. Mint is a good bug repellent and tea comes in pre-made sachets so this is an awesome idea. Now I have tea bugs buried in my yarn stash too.)

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Some of my old yarn labels make wild, outrageous promises.

“Tangleproof” my butt! I betcha a zillion dollars I can tangle that yarn up.

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Check out this skein of acrylic-made-to-look-like cotton. I’m not supposed to knit in stockinette with it.

I wonder what happens when you make stockinette stitch with it. Does it self-destruct? Do the knitting police come to your door? I have to try it. You know I have to. That note on the label is like saying “don’t press this button”. You gotta press the button.

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Then there is the virginity question. Some of my balls of old yarn are virgins. Yep.

(This is what sent me unearthing all my stash in the first place. A reader made a comment on a post last week about a jerk she knew who would not accept a gift unless it was made with “virgin acrylic”. What? Virgin acrylic? What the is that? And do I have any? Turns out that I do.)

So virgin yarn is pure? Untouched? Holding out for the right crafter?

I think its supposed to be yarn that wasn’t recycled or made from something that used to be something else. Back then recycled stuff was BAD. Times change. Now we have to pay extra for the privilege of stuff made from other stuff.

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Best of all is the little logos that you can find on some of the old yarn labels.

Those always make me smile (because I’m a sentimental squish-squish).

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What a waste of time! Taking pictures of old yarn labels???

I could blame this post on that commenter who mentioned virgin acrylic. Or I could blame Jess because she de-stashed that Acrilan on me, forcing me to take it home. But I’ll be honest and own up to my abnormal interest in the labels of vintage yarn. I had a blast looking over everything and taking my pictures. And maybe they will find their way to a like-minded soul who will, after reading this, go tearing though their own stash to see if they have any “virgin acrylic”.

Let me know if you do.

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