This week has been one for remembering and celebrating the
past. Knitters can even enjoy a
brief glimpse of the then Princess Elizabeth plying her needles in this short
link:
History has always been a part of my life for as long as I
can remember so I am always looking back, whether it was in childhood tours of historic
places, my reading, music, choice of related entertainment, and, of course,
textiles – all were and are related to the past. I do appreciate the present
and its ever-changing technology which allows me spend most of my personal and
professional life in the past but I am far more interested in something that is
newly discovered about the 18th century than the next e-something
about to be released. I also appreciate my vintage wool in spite of the
plethora of choices now available from all over the world.
This wool, Patons Totem, is a little younger than the reign
of the current monarch, dating from the early 1960s, I do believe, having
belonged to my mother and looking like kind she used to knit pullovers for my
brother. Three gossamer fine 3-ply strands make
up each of the three strands of the crepe twist and they are skeined by weight. Like most of my wool from the
1950’s-1960s, it is not overly soft but it is not harsh, either. I tend to use
these wools for historic projects from earlier eras but I have never knit with
this one yet and I don’t have any plans for it. If I do ever use it, though, I
will keep the label as there is so much information on it starting with “CREPE TWIST, DOUBLE KNITTING, WEIGHT 1
OZ (28.35 GRM) AT STANDARD
MOISTURE (my italics), CONTENT IN
ACCORDANCE WITH BS.984:1941.” I do hope that “1941” refers to the year as that is the year in the film clip linked above. One side of the main section has a logo
with “P & B” within, “ALL WOOL” below that, and “SHADE 5 LOT 69” next to
that. The top of the label notes that it is “PRINTED AND TRADE MARKS REGISTERED
IN GREAT BRITAIN” and the bottom section states that the wool is “MADE AND
GUARANTEED BY PATONS & BALDWINS LIMITED IN GREAT BRITAIN” – guaranteed! The
other side of the front of the label advises to “KNIT FROM OUTSIDE” (no pull
skein here) and, best of all, that
“IN CASE OF COMPLAINT PLEASE RETURN THIS BAND WITH THE WOOL.”
Now, most vendors and shops will take back unsatisfactory
yarn but the labels don’t usually declare so. I won’t say that it is a product from a more civil past. No
era is or was perfect no matter how rosy the glow that surrounds the images or
memories. I like, however, to think of objects like this as one of those arms
of the past reaching out through history, giving us a tangible but
always all too fleeting moment of our own with something or someone from
another time. An appropriate find in this week of Jubilee, and a suitable companion for the current modern project on the
needles?*
*Tardis Socks by Swallowed by Sky, http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tardis-socks
2 comments:
What a delightful video! Thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it!
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