Saxony yarn

[Daydreamer-girl]

I have been looking at many vintage patterns lately, and it seems that many require saxony yarn. I haven´t heard about that yarn before.

Do any of you know something about this yarn? It would be great to know hat weight it was, and what hook size I could use...

[craziebunny]

found this 1. a fine, three-ply woolen yarn.

2. a soft-finish, compact fabric, originally of high-grade merino wool from Saxony, for topcoats and overcoats.

[Daydreamer-girl]

Ok, thanks. Maybe it´ll help

[IrishMist]

here's a link to a site that has info on many discontinued yarns

http://www.vintageknits.com/yarncharts.html

they're listed by brand, weight and there is a search feature at the bottom.

I've referred to it many times as I also enjoy making vintage patterns.

[Daydreamer-girl]

Thank you. Maybe a stupid qustion, but what does 2, 3, and 4 fold mean?

[Granny Square]

This is just an educated guess, but since this is how the yarn was 'put up' I'm guessing these yarns came in hanks (wound in a big loop, not into a ball), and that is how many times the hank was folded. In this column, other yarns are 'put up' as tubes, spools, or cones.

[Miss Crochet]

Another possibility: twofold, threefold means zweifach, dreifach. It could also refer to 2-ply, 3-ply, 4-ply yarn.

[Granny Square]

I thought 'ply' at first too, but it was showing folds in the 'put up' column, and if ply was noted it was in in the fiber content column (mostly in the Mary Maxim section).

 

But on the Fleischer color chart, it does sound more like ply, doesn't it?

 

In the Columbia section, a sock yarn and a rug yarn have 4 folds, a sport yarn only 3. Saxony is listed as 2-fold in smaller yardage skein, 4-fold in larger yardage skein. Eh?

 

Hey Daydreamer girl, it was not a silly question at all!!

[Daydreamer-girl]

I thought 'ply' at first too, but it was showing folds in the 'put up' column, and if ply was noted it was in in the fiber content column (mostly in the Mary Maxim section).

 

But on the Fleischer color chart, it does sound more like ply, doesn't it?

 

In the Columbia section, a sock yarn and a rug yarn have 4 folds, a sport yarn only 3. Saxony is listed as 2-fold in smaller yardage skein, 4-fold in larger yardage skein. Eh?

 

Hey Daydreamer girl, it was not a silly question at all!!

 

I guess not. Would it help if I found what hook size it´s used for one of the "folds"?

[Daydreamer-girl]

I have looked at one of the patterns which calls for saxony yarn. For 3 fold baby yarn, they have used a bone hook size 3.

[magiccrochetfan]

Continuing our history lesson , when were bone hooks commercially available? sounds like some very vintage patterns!

[IrishMist]

I found this website which equates fold with ply. you'll have to scroll down...the definition is fifth from the bottom.

http://www.narrow-fabrics-manufacturers.com/glossary-of-products-y.html

 

 

on the vintage yarn charts website, they give suggested needle sizes in the yarns listed by weights section.

 

hope this helps.

[Daydreamer-girl]

I found this website which equates fold with ply. you'll have to scroll down...the definition is fifth from the bottom.

http://www.narrow-fabrics-manufacturers.com/glossary-of-products-y.html

 

 

on the vintage yarn charts website, they give suggested needle sizes in the yarns listed by weights section.

 

hope this helps.

 

Ah! That helped a lot

what´s the URL to the vintage yarn chart site? vintageyarncharts.com?

[IrishMist]

sorry, here's the website

http://www.vintageknits.com/yarncharts.html