Ball bands, every yarn out there has one. They have different looks, shapes, sizes and are printed on different types of paper. But they also have similarities. All of them include a logo, article name and wash instructions.
Recently all Yarn and Colors ball bands were adjusted. Next to better readability, small but handy details were added to aid you with your crochet or knitting project. For instance the required number of meters per tension gauge. This is just one example out of the 19 other types of information that you can find.
THE BALL BAND.
Every ball band contains the exact same elements. All these elements are categorized and displayed in three groups: 1) product information, 2) branding and 3) use and care instructions. Each group contains the same elements but might be positioned elsewhere depending on the ball band. For instance, the ball band of our Baby Fabulous requires a different positioning then our Must-have ball bands.
THE INFORMATION
Today we are using the ball band from our Must-have yarn as an example. All categories as previously mentioned are numbered while the types of information are lettered. So, here we go!
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A) Barcode – an important element that makes the product scannable. This can be used in stores to enter the right product in the checkout while warehouses can use it to verify your order. Each color and article has its own unique barcode and can be linked to our company directly.
B) Color name – every color of our Yarn and Colors range has a color name that represents the shade. For instance Glass, Mustard, Cotton Candy or Black. Depending on the person, the one remembers names better than numbers or the other way around.
C) Color code – every of our colors also has an unique digit. For instance the previous example Glass has the number 072 and Mustard the number 015. The color code always uses 3 digits. This way computers sort the colors as intended 001, 002, 003, and so on instead of 1, 11, 12, 2, 20, and so on. Automatically sorted!
D) Dye lot – each color is made using a certain “recipe”. It’s a mixture of dye stuffs to create a certain shade. Every time this is done there might be a slight difference in this mixture. That is why a shade could be slightly different when you compare two batches. You can find a dye lot on each label which indicates the batch it was produced in. Colors from the same dye lot are identical. Interesting fact, dye lots are not only based on the mixture but also the machines. You will also have more dye lots if you order more than they can fit into one dyeing machine.
E) Country of origin – shows where the yarn was produced. We are transparent in which country as we’re proud of the long term corporations with our suppliers. Next to that it also happens to be mandatory for custom purposes.
F) Article code – the code we use in addition to the article name. For instance YAC000001 is the article code for our Must-have range.
G) OEKO-TEX certification – is only displayed when a yarn is OEKO-TEX certified. Want to know more about OEKO-TEX? Then check out our certification page.
H) Additional certification – is only displayed when a yarn has additional certifications. Such as a GRS certificate for the Amazing and Gentle or the EN71-3 for our Must-have yarn. You can find more about it on our certification page.
I) Social media – the icons of the social media and channels you can find us on! You should definitely check them out.
J) Website – the web address of Yarn and Colors! To find more yarn, patterns, inspiration and information.
K) Logo – our new Yarn and Colors logo. And we love it!
L) Article name – each yarn has a name to make it easier to keep them apart. For instance, we have a 100% cotton in a 8/4 and 8/8 composition. It’s easier to remember and find them as Favorite and Epic. We also use the terms “Baby” and “Super”. The Super Must-have is a thicker version of the Must-have while the Baby Fabulous is a thinner version of the Fabulous.
M) Collection – Yarn and Colors has four different collections: Basic, Sustainable and Exclusive. This is included on the ball band to keep categorize all our different yarns. As an example, the sustainable collection only has yarns that have additional certification to prove their sustainability.
N) Care instructions – you love what you make so handle with care! With the displayed care instructions you can enjoy from your creation as long as possible. In order from left to right we display instructions for: washing, bleaching, drying, type of drying, ironing and dry cleaning.
O) Weight and length – displays the weight and total length of yarn each ball has. This is displayed in grams, ounces, meters and yards.
P) Composition – displays what kind of materials the yarn is made from. It’s mandatory by law to write down everything that’s included. Yes, everything. Even if would introduce a yarn that includes 5% Camel, 5% Nylon, 10% Cotton, 30% Acrylic, 20% Wool, 20% Alpaca, and 10% Polyester. We’ll probably have to reduce the font size though…
Q) Yarn category – aran, dk, fine, worsted, 4 ply, these are all different yarn categories. To make it easier Yarn and Colors uses the standard written by Yarn Craft Council. This number indicates the category. In addition, the ball band also includes the UK term for that weight. Yarn from that have a similar number are interchangeable. This way you can swap a cotton for a cotton / acrylic blend or maybe even a wool. It’s up to you!
R) Recommended needle size – the needle size we recommend for knitting and crochet. However, pattern instructions might tell you otherwise. To get a similar results we would suggest you to follow the pattern instructions.
S) Usage – how many gram you need to knit a size 40 (or medium size) shirt with short sleeves.
T) Tension gauge – shows important information about the usage of the yarn. We display both gauges for knitting and crochet. It tells you how many stitches (or single crochets) and rows you need in order to create a 10x10 cm or 4x4 inch gauge. Yarns with an almost similar tension are interchangeable. A tip if your tension gauge doesn’t match, use a thicker needle if it’s too small or a smaller needle of it’s too big. Underneath the icon you can find the approximate meters you require for a knitted or crocheted tension square. You can easily multiply this number by the number of squares you need. A 200x100 cm blanket contains 200 squares. So, if you crochet it from our Must-have you need about 37 balls. Easy, right?
ONE MORE BALL BAND TIP
Are you working on a project? Then save the ball bands of the yarn you are using. This way you can find and remember the used yarn, colors and dye lots. Especially handy if you might happen to have one or two balls short to finish your project.
Happy crafting!
