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Signs and symbols |
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Lukewarm hand wash only |
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Machine washable but only with wool wash program not exceeding 30 °Celsius |
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Machine washable but only with wool wash program not exceeding 40 °Celsius |
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Machine washable up to 60 °Celsius |
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No ironing |
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Mit schwacher Einstellung dämpfen (Synthetics) |
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No hot ironing |
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No hot ironing |
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Do not tumble dry |
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Dry cleaning with perchloraethylene or dry cleaning spirit |
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Special cleaning: The dash underneath the circle means reduced mechanical action and water addition during cleaning. No selfservice cleaning allowed
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Suitable for handknitting machines |
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Zum trocknen auflegen
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The sizes of needles indicated are relative, i.e. should be adjusted according to result when knitting the tension sample |
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Tension:
R = number of rows per 10 cm (4 inches)
M = number of stitches per 10 cm (4 inches) |
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ball |
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balls on hard cone |
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cake ball |
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hank |
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Felt resistant by special treatment |
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Textiles tested for harmful substances |
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Needle thickness
The indicated needle thickness is only provided as a rough guide, as every person has his/her own knitting style and this style is also significant for the strength of
the knitted design. That is why only the knitting gauge is binding.
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Knitting gauge
The knitting gauges indicated on our shade charts and on the ball bands always relate to a flat piece of plain knitting at medium tension. For the models in our
instruction booklets, the knitting gauge is always determined for the respective pattern and design. Always create a test gauge for each model before you start knitting
your model, even if you have already used the same yarn for a different model. In order to do this, knit a 12 x 12 cm test piece. Then mark a 10 x 10 cm
square with pins or put a commercial counting frame on it. Now count the stitches within the selection or within the counting frame. If the knitting gauge does not
correspond to the gauge indicated you should change needle thickness. If you count more stitches or rows then you should knit more loosely or use thicker needles.
If you count less stitches or rows then you should knit more tightly or use thinner needles.
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Fisherman’s rib or English rib knits
Especially fisherman’s rib and half fisherman’s rib knits do not keep their shape particularly well and are not very hardwearing either. That is why they should
always be knitted tightly with smaller needles than suggested on the ball bands.
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Wear resistance
Noble materials such as silk, alpaca and fine new wool or trendy open cotton yarns are generally not as hardwearing as slightly more robust standard fibres. These
materials are usually loosely spun to accentuate these fine materials and to make them soft and give them volume. That’s why it is highly recommended that you
knit qualities from these materials tightly.
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Pilling
Soft and loosely spun qualities and yarns made from particularly fine fibres often produce little naps when they have been worn often or have been used harder,
this is called pilling. If the clothing is used the way it was intended, natural pilling should not cause any problems. You can very carefully shave off these little naps
or carefully pick them off. Pilling will reduce with time after the short fibres have made their way to the outside.
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Felting
Cotton, silk, linen, viscose and synthetic fibres do not felt. A layer of scales lapped over each other in a regular manner surrounds woollen fibres. These fibres contract
in the cold and expand in the heat. Moisture, harsh (alkaline) detergent and strong rubbing can enhance this effect. When this happens, the fine scales of the
individual woollen fibres interlock so they cannot be separated any more. This is a totally natural feature of wool, which is used for producing certain materials such
as felt or loden fabric.
Of course, felting is not desired for hand knitted designs. That is why you should treat your garments made from pure new wool or blends with new wool with particular
care. These textiles are best washed by hand in lots of water (not warmer than 30°C): Simply squeeze them gently, do not rub or wring them. These garments
can only be machine washed if the woollen yarn is treated with Superwash and if indicated on the label.
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Superwash
Superwash means that the fine scales of the woollen fibre are covered with a very fine layer of synthetic resin. That way they cannot interlock as much and felt
less. Woollen garments equipped with Superwash can be machine washed on delicate at up to 40°. The information on the label indicates the recommended temperature.
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Washing
You will find the care symbols for the respective quality on the ball band and on the shade card. You should always wash knitted socks inside out. That way you
protect the beautiful exterior. Knitted items may not be soaked; they should be washed as quickly as possible. Please use mild detergent only.
You should not use fabric softener for hand-knitted garments: The substances contained in softeners encase the fibres and soften them. This has the effect that
garment become longer and wider, and that they loose their shape. Yarns equipped with Superwash will loose their elasticity if fabric softener is used.
If the label indicates machine wash: Choose the wool or the delicate setting. It’s better if you properly load the machine, because under loading or overloading can
damage knitted items. Do not use softener and only spin briefly or use a delicate spin cycle.
If the label indicates hand wash: Move the item softly in plenty of water. Please do not rub or stretch it. Rinse until the water is clear. Add some vinegar to the last
rinse; that brightens up the colours again.
The risk that the knitted item is unnecessarily stretched lengthwise is great when it is in a wet state. You should thus lift it out of the wash container in a slightly
scrunched manner, wrap it in a towel and squeeze it out thoroughly. Do not wring. Most yarns can be spun a little before drying; this is particularly recommendable
for large and heavy items.
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Spinning
If the knitted item is spun before drying, wrap it into a white towel so it won't loose its shape.
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Drying
Spread the knitted item on an absorbent Turkish towel. Do not stretch it lengthwise or width wise, but fluff it up gently when it’s lying flat and then let it dry loosely
and slightly scrunched up. That way you can also get knitted items that have lost their shape back to their original shape.
Knitted items may never be hung up to dry, as they will stretch. Hand knitted items with a high content of natural fibres should not be dried in the clothes dryer as
wool will felt and cotton can shrink. Do not dry your items in the sun or directly on the heater, as this will cause bleached colours to yellow and intensive colours to
fade.
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Ironing
If the material permits it (please refer to the care symbols on the ball band), a steam iron is best suited. Otherwise put a damp cloth on the knitted item to avoid
shiny spots. Always steam carefully and without pressure.
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Dry-cleaning
Dry-cleaning uses other solvents instead of suds. Chemical solvents prevent the fibres from swelling; hence items will not shrink or change shape.
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Ball bands/inserts
Please recommend to your customers to keep the labels until they have finished the item so that we can refer to the spin and dye lot in case of possible
complaints.
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Dye lot number
You should only use balls of the same dye lot when knitting a single-coloured design. Only then can irregularities in colour be avoided. Please recommend to your
customer to take sufficient material from one lot.
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Ball weights
Synthetic yarns hardly absorb any moisture; a ball weighs about 49-50 g. The sales weight of wool yarns is calculated with an innate humidity of about 18%.
The moisture content can be reduced to 10-11%, especially if the wool is stored in heated rooms for long periods of time but also in summer.
A 50 g ball will then only weigh 46-47 g. This loss in weight does not have any effects on the quality and productiveness of the yarn, however.
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