Labels

I learn when I teach.  It's hard not to... I get questions and suddenly I'm thinking about things that seem obvious to me, but they really aren't.
I have a lot of yarn labels.  I can't part with them;  I have a "stash" of yarn labels...(ahem)
I feel they tell such important things that I should have access to them forever. I try to impart that same urgency to my knitter students.  When they ask questions, 2 out of every 5 times I ask back, "Do you have the label from your yarn?"  And 5 out of every 5 times they answer in the negative.  "I have it at home," or "I've had this yarn so long, I don't think I have it anymore." "My dog ate it."  "It's in my car..." Sometimes I think I'm asking for a homework assignment! So I take labels with me to class and we inspect them for information.
From Sublime:
Four symbols for care instructions:  Washing, drying, ironing and dry cleaning.

 Along with the stitch and row gauge, recommended needle size and content, what's left?  Ah, yes, the color and lot numbers (in case you need to get more) and yardage.  What I don't see is the helpful symbol being used on patterns and in magazines that classifies the yarn as a certain weight.

 Here's a Rauma product from Norway:  The washing temperature isn't marked in dots, but with an actual temperature.  (Most washers have actual temperature settings.)  There are 5 care symbols, adding the bleach symbol (triangle) to the 4 above.  The stitch gauge is indicated by 30/10 which means 30 sts per 10 cm.

 "Vask i Milo" means they recommend a brand of laundry detergent called Milo which is used for delicates and wool.  It is machine washable: "Maskinvaskbar"

 And now for the yarn seen most in everyday shops:  Red Heart

 Above is the yardage and needle size, and below, FINALLY, we see the square with the weight classification (super fine, 1).  I'm surprised there are temperatures in the washing symbol, and TWO symbols for drying instructions: The first one with the bar is "dry flat" and the second one, in case you didn't get the idea, "do not tumble dry".

Another common brand is from Paton:  Classic Wool.  I like the sheep...

Three languages, and repeated detailed instructions, in written form (on the inside of the band), and

 In symbols, and repeated written washing instructions.

I've added a "page" to my blog (see above) that will direct you to the many symbols used.  When I give away knitted pieces, I try to encourage proper care by including laundry instructions.  I know it doesn't mean that everyone is going to follow them, but I only hope to avoid mistakes that might ruin my hours of work.  I doubt I would replace something, would you?