“Okay, but what the fuck is Shetland floss?” is basically how this list started. Turns out it means a fingering weight yarn, usually wool. And there’s lots of other weird fucking names for yarns we don’t use anymore, but I’ve been doing some digging.
Organized alphabetically by yarn company name, then yarn name. Where there is overlap (J&P Coats vs. Coats, for example), I’ve listed the yarns more than once so all possible naming conventions can be searched. When possible, I also list the fiber content.
Some yarns are listed with a blank second column. Those are yarns I haven’t been able to find information on. Hoping that listing them here may let someone who has knowledge see it and send along the needed information.
Lastly, I’m using American terms for yarn weights.
| Vintage Yarn Name | Vintage Yarn Size |
| American Thread Company Clover Leaf Nylon | Worsted |
| American Thread Company Dawn Antron Sport Wool | Sport, 100% Wool |
| American Thread Company Dawn Knitting Worsted | Worsted, 100% wool |
| American Thread Company Dawn Nylon | Fingering |
| American Thread Company Dawn Sayelle | Worsted |
| American Thread Company Puritan Cotton | Thread #10 |
| American Thread Company Star Fast Crochet Cotton | Thread #10 |
| Amiercan Thread Company Puritan Star Spangled Cotton | Thread, #10, Metallic |
| Arden’s Crochet Cotton #22 | Thread #22 |
| Arden’s Crochet Cotton #22 | Thread #22 |
| Arden’s Crochet Cotton #30 | Thead #30 |
| Arden’s Crochet Cotton #8 | Thread #8 |
| Arden’s White Crochet Size 6 | Thread #6 |
| Aronelle Knitting Worsted | Worsted |
| Aunt Lydia’s Heavy Rug Yarn | Heavy Worsted |
| Baldwin & Walker Ladyship Holiday Wool | Fingering |
| Baldwin & Walker’s Ladyship 3-Ply | Light Fingering |
| Bear Brand Deluxe Sock and Sport | Fingering, 100% wool |
| Bear Brand Loop Aire | Worsted Weight, fuzzy |
| Bear Brand Machine Washable Spectator | DK |
| Bear Brand Souffle | Worsted Weight, fuzzy |
| Bear Brand Winsom | Worsted |
| Bear Knitting Worsted | Worsted |
| Bear-Brand Feather Glow | Lace |
| Beehive Botany Wool String | Lace |
| Beehive Imported Scotch Fingering | Fingering |
| Beehive Lady Betty Fleecy | Light Fingering |
| Bernat Baby Wool 2-Ply | Lace, 100% Wool |
| Bernat Bali | Sport (nubby) |
| Bernat Bunnydown | |
| Bernat Linette | Sport |
| Bernat Metallo | |
| Bernat Migonette Knitting Ribbon | 1/4″ Ribbon |
| Bernat Pauline | |
| Bernat Strawmode | Sport; Raffia texture |
| Bestway Greenock Baby Wool 3-ply | Light Fingering |
| Bishop’s Fansay | Fingering |
| Botany Machine Washable Spectator | DK |
| Botany Winsom | Worsted |
| Brunswick Coolspun DK | DK |
| Brunswick Shetland | Fingering, 100% wool |
| Brunswick Windspun | Fingering |
| Bucilla Knitting and Crochet Cotton | Thread |
| Bucilla Knitting Worsted | Worsted |
| Bucilla Paradise | Fingering |
| Bucilla Pastel Crochet | Fingering, 100% Wool |
| Bucilla Strawkraft | DK, 100% rayon w/ raffia texture |
| Bucilla Wondersheen | Thread |
| Chadwick’s Red Heart Baby Wool 3-Ply | Light Fingering |
| Chadwick’s Red Heart Knitting Worsted | Worsted, 100% acrylic |
| Chadwick’s Red Heart Orlon Fashion Yarn 3-Ply | Light Fingering |
| Chadwick’s Red Heart Sock & Sweater Yarn 3-ply | Light Fingering |
| Clark’s Anchor Cronita | Thread #10 |
| Clark’s O.N.T. Best Six Cord Mercerized Cotton | Thread #30 |
| Clark’s O.N.T. Cronita | Thread #5 |
| Clark’s O.N.T. Rug Yarn | Worsted, 100% cotton |
| Coat’s Chain Mercer Crochet #10 | Thread #10 |
| Coats & Clark Red Heart 4-Ply Knitting & Crochet Yarn | Worsted |
| Coats & Clarks Lustersheen | Sport |
| Coats & Clarks ONT Knitting & Crochet Cotton | Thread |
| Coats and Clarks Speed Cro-Sheen | Thread #3 |
| Coats Mercer Cotton #20 | Thread #20 |
| Coats Mercer Cotton #40 | Thread #40 |
| Coats Mercer-Crochet #60 | Thread #60 |
| Columbia Claire de Lune | |
| Columbia Minerva Featherweight Knitted Worsted | Sport |
| Columbia Minerva Marceline-Velveen | Fingering |
| Columbia Minerva Nantuk 4-Ply | Worsted |
| Columbia Minerva Nantuk Knitting Worsted | Worsted |
| Columbia Minerva Nantuk Sports Yarn | Worsted |
| Columbia Minerva Nylon Ribbon | Likely 1/4″ wide ribbon |
| Columbia Minerva Nylon Sweater and Sock Yarn | Fingering |
| Columbia Minerva Princessa Sports Yarn | Sport |
| Columbia Minerva Reverie | Worsted |
| Columbia Minerva Tropicale | Fingering |
| Columbia Minvera Skylark Sports Yarn | Sport |
| Columbia Minverva Alpaca and Nylon | Sport |
| Columbia Minverva Camelot | Sport |
| Columbia Minverva Nantuk Sports Yarn | Sport |
| Columbia Minverva Olympic-Monterey | Light Fingering |
| Columbia Minverva Scotch Fingering | Fingering |
| Columbia Minverva Silver Crepe | Sport |
| Columbia Scotch | |
| Columbia Silkywool | |
| Columbia-Minerva Nantuk Sweater & Afghan Yarn | Worsted |
| Columiba Bouclette (May be Chiffon Bouclette) | |
| Copley’s Excelsior 2-ply Shetland Wool | Light Fingering |
| Cortecelli Daisy Gimp | Thread #3 |
| Corticelli Boucle | |
| Coton du Pingouin | DK, 100% cotton |
| Crystal Palace Baby Georgia | Fingering, 100% Cotton |
| Crystal Palace Mandarin | DK/Light Worsted |
| Dexter Lightweight Knitting Worsted | DK |
| Diamond Fairknit Riviera Lame | |
| Dritz Belastraw | Sport, 100% rayon |
| Dritz Luxury Floss | Fingering Weight |
| Dritz Radiant Straw | Raffia texture; Size 5 thread |
| Emu 4 Ply Crochet Wool | Sport, 100% wool |
| Emu Bri-Nylon Baby Quickerknit | DK |
| Emu Candlelite | Light Fingering |
| Emu Courtelle Baby Quickerknit | DK |
| Emu Crochet Wool 4-Ply | Fingering, 100% |
| Emu Machine Washable Fingering | Fingering |
| Emu Scotch 4 Ply | Fingering, 100% |
| Emu Super Crepe | Fingering, 100% |
| Emu Superlite Bri-Nylon 4 ply | DK |
| Emu Superlite Bri-Nylon Baby Quickerknit | DK |
| Emu Tricel with Nylon 4 ply | Fingering |
| Enterprise Cotton Knitting Yarn | Worsted |
| Esplen d’Or Artifical Silk Crochet Thread | Thread |
| Filati Torre Rosetta | Fingering, 100% Cotton |
| FIxacao Circulo | Sport, w/ elastic |
| Fleischer’s Cassimere Sports Yarn | Sport |
| Fleischer’s French Zephyr | Light Fingering |
| Fleischer’s Germantown Zephyr 4-Fold | Fingering |
| Fleischer’s Knitting Worsted | Worsted |
| Fleischer’s Loop Aire | Worsted Weight, fuzzy |
| Fleischer’s Melody Glow | Lace |
| Fleischer’s Petite Bouclette | boucle |
| Fleischer’s Souffle | Worsted Weight, fuzzy |
| Fleischer’s Straw-twist | DK, 100% rayon w/ raffia texture |
| Fleischer’s Winsom | Worsted |
| Fleischer’s Wonderize Deluxe Sock and Sport | Fingering, 100% wool |
| Fleisher’s Germantown Zephyr 8-Fold | DK |
| Fleisher’s Knitting Worsted | Worsted |
| Fleisher’s Sylvan | Worsted |
| Fliescher’s Machine Washable Spectator | DK |
| Glossilla Bouclette | Fingering, boucle |
| Golden Eagle Super Vest Woll 3-Ply | Light Fingering |
| Greenock Baby Wool 3-Ply | Light Fingering |
| Greenock Super Fingering | Light Fingering |
| Hayfield Bonus Aran | Worsted |
| Herschnerr’s Wintuk Worsted Weight | Worsted |
| Hiawatha Corde | Worsted/Aran |
| Hiawatha Strawsheen Art | Raffia texture, Thread #5 |
| J & J Baldwin’s Beehive Fingering 3-ply | Light Fingering, 100% wool |
| J&P Coats Best Six Cord Mercinized Cotton | Thread #30 |
| J&P Coats Knit Cro-Sheen | Size #10 Thread |
| J&P Coats Mercerized Cotton | Size #10 |
| J&P Coats Mercerized Cotton #40 | Thread #40 |
| J&P Coats Speed Cro-Sheen | Thread #3 |
| J&P Rayon Crochet | 100% Rayon, Thread |
| Jaeger Monte Cristo | DK |
| Jaeger Spiral-Spun | DK, 100% wool |
| Keito Zakka Stores Fromage | Light Fingering |
| Kentucky All-Purpose Decorative Yarn | |
| Lady Galt Machine Washable Sayelle (Group C) | Worsted |
| Laines du Bois Joi Mustang | Fingering |
| Laines du Bois Joli Clairelande | Fingering |
| Laines Du Pingouin Jericho | Lace (thread?), 100% acrylic |
| Laines Du Pingouin Super | Worsted Weight |
| Lee Target Duo 4-Ply Tricel Nylon | Fingering |
| Lee Target Motoravia 4 ply | Fingering, 100% Wool |
| Lee Wards Lightweight Knitting Worsted of Orlon Sayelle | Light Fingering |
| LIly Frost Tone | Size #10 Thread |
| Lily Sil-Tone Mercerized Cotton | Thread #8 |
| Lily Six-Cut Chenille | Worsted |
| Lister 2 Spun 4-Ply Tricel Nylon | Fingering |
| Lister Bel Air Courtelle Double Crepe | DK |
| Lister Bel Air for 4-Ply Knitting | Fingering |
| Lister Bel Air Starspun | Fingering |
| Lister Lavenda 4-Ply Crisp Crepe | Fingering |
| Lister Lavenda 4-Ply Wool | Fingernig |
| Lister Super Crimp Bri-Nylon 4-Ply | Fingering |
| Marriner Double Crepe | DK |
| Marriner New DK | DK |
| Marriner Tango | DK |
| Mary Maxim 4-Ply Super Fingering | Fingering |
| Merino Torceda | |
| Minerva Boucle | Lace, boucle |
| Minerva Nylon Sweater and Sock Yarn | Fingering |
| Minerva Vicuna | Lace |
| Minvera Velveen | Fingering |
| Morell Cabri | |
| Morell L’Opera | |
| Morell L’Opera | Lace |
| Morell Laine Magique | |
| Morell Woven Edge Silk Organdy Ribbon | 1/4″ wide ribbon |
| Nomi’s Excellence 80/20 Worsted Weight | Worsted |
| Nomi’s Excellence Worsted Weight | Worsted |
| Nomotta Mothproof Chiffon Lace | Light Fingering |
| Nomotta Ruban D’Art (Ribbon) | 3/16″ Ribbon, Taffeta |
| Nomotta Silk Organdy Ribbon | 1/4″ organdy ribbon |
| Nomotta Silkeen | Size 10 Crochet Thread, 100% silk |
| Paton’s Floss | Fingering |
| Patons & Baldwins Crocus | Fingering, 100% wool |
| Patons Artisan | |
| Patons Australia Bluebell | Sport |
| Patons Australia Totem | DK, 100% Wool |
| Patons Beehive Astra | Sport |
| Patons Beehive Fingering | Light Fingering, 100% wool |
| Patons Bluebell | Sport |
| Patons Cameo Crepe | Fingering |
| Patons Canadiana | Worsted |
| Patons Capstan | Worsted, 100% wool |
| Patons Caressa | DK |
| Patons Crystal | Fingering |
| Patons Fair Isle Fingering | Light Fingering, 100% wool |
| Patons Fairytale 2-Ply | Lace |
| Patons Fuzzy-Wuzzy | Fingering |
| Patons Gem | Fingering, 100% cotton |
| Patons Kingfisher | Fingering |
| Patons Kismet | DK |
| Patons Sunspun Boucle | Sport, 100% cotton; boucle |
| Patons Super Fingering | Light Fingering |
| Patons Super Pearl Vest Wool | Fingering |
| Patons Super Scotch Fingering | Light Fingering, 100% Wool |
| Patons Totem | DK, 100% Wool |
| Patons UK Capstan | Worsted, 100% wool |
| Patons UK Capstan | Worsted, 100% wool |
| Patons UK Halcyon Non-Shrink Knitting 2-ply | Lace |
| Patons UK Purple Heather | Fingering, 100% wool |
| Patons Vest Wool | Fingering |
| Phentex Capri 2-Ply | DK |
| Phildar Sillages | Worsted |
| Pierrot Beauty Silk Cotton | Light Fingering |
| Pierrot Ethnic Denim | Light Fingering, 100% Cotton |
| Pierrot Saumur | Sport |
| Pierrot Sawayaka Cotton | Fingering, 100% Cotton |
| Pierrot Silk 100 Boucle | DK, 100% silk |
| Pierrot Silk Garden | Fingering, 100% silk |
| Pierrot Soft Merino Fingering | Fingering |
| Pierrot Wash A La Mode | Fingering |
| Pierrot Yarn Anouk Linen | Sport, 100% Linen |
| Pierrot Yarn Cyrup | Lace |
| Pierrot Yarn Friends | Fingering |
| Pierrot Yarn Graceful Linen | Lace, 100% Linen |
| Pierrot Yarn Julien | Light Fingering |
| Pierrot Yarn Kukka | DK |
| Pierrot Yarn Loire Cotton | Thread #30 |
| Pierrot Yarn Lourdes | Sport |
| Pierrot Yarn Milly | Fingering |
| Pierrot Yarn Nagomi Cotton | Fingering |
| Pierrot Yarn New Shine Cotton | Lace/Thread |
| PIerrot Yarn Pastel Organic | Sport, 100% cotton |
| Pierrot Yarn Ponchette | Fingering |
| Pierrot Yarn Pure Wool Lace | Lace |
| Pierrot Yarn Silk Garden Luxe | Light Fingering; 100% Silk |
| Pierrot Yarn Silk Rosa | Sport; mohair |
| Pierrot Yarn Yuttari | Bulky, 100% Acrylic |
| Pierrot Yarn Zakka | DK, 100% wool |
| Pierrot Yarns Brume | |
| Pierrot Yarns Celeste | Fingering |
| Pierrot Yarns Fresh Cotton | sportweight |
| Pierrot Yarns Saratto Cotton | Light Fingering |
| Pingouin Jericho | Lace |
| Pingouin Super | Worsted Weight |
| Puritan Mercerized Crochet Cotton | Thread #10 |
| Raphael Brand Gimp | Thread Size #3 |
| Red Heart 3-Ply Crochet Wool | Light Fingering |
| Red Heart Knitting Worsted | Worsted |
| Red Heart Pompadour | Fingering |
| Red Heart Wintuk | Worsted, 100% acrylic |
| Red Heart Wintuk Sport, 2 ply | Sport Weight |
| Reynold Versailles | Aran |
| Reynold’s Marseilles | |
| Reynold’s Rapsodie Ribbon | Super Bulky |
| Reynolds Barcarolle | Super Bulky |
| Reynolds Bulky Reynelle | Super Bulky, 100% Acrylic |
| Reynolds Danielle | |
| Reynolds Deauville | |
| Reynolds Feu d’artifice | Fingering; chainette |
| Reynolds Jeweltone | |
| Reynolds Lido | Super Bulky |
| Reynolds Marseilles | Super Bulky, boucle |
| Reynolds Menton | Super Bulky |
| Reynolds Mohair No. 1 | Light Fingering, fuzzy |
| Reynolds Organdie | 1/8″ organdy ribbon |
| Reynolds Organdie with Gold | 1/8″ organdy ribbon |
| Reynolds Organdie with Silver | 1/8″ organdy ribbon |
| Reynolds Parfait | Sport |
| Reynolds Rapsodie | Super Bulky |
| Reynolds Ruban Rayonne | Super Bulky |
| Reynolds Soie Ruban | |
| Reynolds Toulon | |
| Reynolds Town & Country | DK |
| Reynolds Tweed | |
| Robin Double Crepe | DK |
| Robin Double Knitting | DK |
| Robin Landscape DK | DK |
| Robin Pure Wool DK | DK |
| Royal Society Crochet Cotton | #30 Thread |
| Royal Society Eversheen | #30 Thread |
| Royal Society Faun Crepe | Lace Weight / Wool |
| Royal Society Sweatertwist | Lace Weight |
| Ruban D’Art (Ribbon) | Taffeta Ribbon |
| Sirdar After Six | Fingering |
| Sirdar Candytwist | DK |
| Sirdar Courtelle Crepe 4-ply | Fingering |
| Sirdar Courtelle Crepe DK | DK |
| Sirdar Double Knitting | DK |
| Sirdar Fontein Crepe 3-Ply | Light Fingering |
| Sirdar Fontein Crepe 4-ply | Fingering |
| Sirdar Gaiety Nylon 4-ply | Fingering |
| SIrdar Majestic 3-Ply | Light Fingering |
| Sirdar Rhapsody Courtelle | Fingering |
| Sirdar Spree | Bulky |
| Sirdar Super Nylon DK | DK |
| Sirdar Super Shetland Wool 2-ply | Light Fingering |
| Sirdar Talisman 4-ply | Fingering |
| Sirdar Tricel Nylon Crepe 4-ply | Fingering |
| Sirdar Vest Wool 3 ply | Light Fingering |
| Spinnerin All Around Wash Fit | Sport Weight |
| Spinnerin Alpine | Worsted |
| Spinnerin Ascot | Sport, Wool/Mohair |
| Spinnerin Boucle Suisse | Worsted, boucle |
| Spinnerin Candour | Light Fingering, 100% Wool |
| Spinnerin Caresse | Worsted |
| Spinnerin Clu | Worsted |
| Spinnerin Deluxe Knitting Worsted | Worsted, 100% acrylic |
| Spinnerin Duet | Sport Weight |
| Spinnerin Elf | Sport |
| Spinnerin Frostlon Petite | Worsted; fuzzy |
| Spinnerin Germantown Deluxe | Worsted |
| Spinnerin Marvel Twist | Worsted, 100% Wool |
| Spinnerin Mazet Orlon Prelude | |
| Spinnerin Mona | Sport Weight |
| Spinnerin Nylaine Germantown Worsted | Worsted |
| Spinnerin Nylaine Sport | Sport |
| Spinnerin Nylana | |
| Spinnerin Oasis | Sport Weight |
| Spinnerin Orlon Sayelle Express | Worsted |
| Spinnerin Orlon Sayelle Sport | Sport |
| Spinnerin Sabrina | Sport |
| Spinnerin Satinette Ribbon | |
| Spinnerin Sparkle Twist | Sport Weight |
| Spinnerin Suzanne | DK, 100% Wool |
| Spinnerin Wintuk Sport | Sport Weight |
| Strutt’s Milford Knitting Cotton #8 | Thread #8 |
| Super Crimp Bri-Nylon 4 ply | Fingering |
| Tulip Crochet and Knitting Cotton | Thread #10 |
| Twilley’s Aztec | Worsted |
| Twilley’s Cortina | Fingering, 100% wool |
| Twilley’s Crysette | Size 3 Crochet Thread |
| Twilley’s Goldfingering | Fingering; Metallic |
| Twilley’s Lysbet | Cotton Thread #3 |
| Twilley’s Lyscordet | Size 5 Crochet Thread |
| Twilley’s Stalite | Cotton Thread #3 |
| Unger Ariane | sport, metallic |
| Unger Carnival Straw | sport, Raffia texture |
| Unger Cruise | Sport |
| Unger Dolly | Sport Weight, boucle |
| Unger Fluffy | worsted, fuzzy |
| Unger Liliom | |
| Unger Nanette | Worsted, 100% acrylic |
| Unger Regency Banin Knitting Wool | DK |
| Utopia Alpaca Wool | Fingering Weight |
| Utopia Alpaca Yarn | Fingering Weight |
| Utopia Llama Wool | Fingering Weight |
| Utopia Shetland Floss | Fingering Weight |
| Utopia Worsted and Silk | Fingering Weight |
| Villawool Argyll | DK |
| Villawool Purple Label Ban-Lon | Sport |
| Villawool Speediknit | DK, 100% Wool |
| Villawool Starlite Crepe | DK |
| Weldon Dish Cotton | Sportweight |
| Wendy Double Knit | DK |
| Wendy Double Knit Nylonised | DK |
| Wendy’s Courtelle Double Crepe | DK |
| Woolcrest Double Knitting Cupid Nylon | DK |
| Woolcrest Double Knitting Nylon | DK |
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