Vintage Craft Book Feature: Schoeller Wolle and Esslinger Wolle (Germany ~1980's)

Another of my many needlework hobbies is the collection of vintage craft books.  Found in dusty corners of second hand shops, in pride of place in used book stores, these old tomes often contain beautiful nuggets of crafting wisdom, and a heaping helping of vintage charm.  Reviving the techniques, tips and retro projects is just one more way for us to bring back the wonders of the handmade.

Schoeller Wolle and Esslinger Wolle Pamphlets - Germany ~1980's

Well, book is a bit of a misnomer here as this is actually a collection of pattern pamphlets from the yarn companies Schoeller Wolle and Esslinger Wolle.  

I found a total of eight of these pamphlets in a ziplock bag at a thrift store for the hefty sum of 10 cents.  While they are definitely 1980's style with all the awfulness that implies, there were a few (like the one above) that intrigued me enough to splurge on them.  The patterns are all completely in German, but I didn't let that deter me any more than the Dutch knitting book did.

Each pamphlet is a cute little fold out thing; with a picture of a pattern on the front and back (so two patterns per pamphlet) and all the instructions, including diagrams, in two or three pages inside.  The pamphlets aren't very big, 6" by 8" or so.  That small space means the patterns are a bit crushed in with a lot of abbreviations.  No where can I find a list of said terms, but I imagine the internet can help with that.  I may try to google assist translate the above jacket pattern, and if I do I'll share it here.

                      

While the cacti are beyond goofy, the knit pants intrigue me.  I have a feeling that knit in a soft yarn they would be really great lay-around-the-house pants.  That little girl is rocking the single coolest accessory in the whole of the collection.  I am so jealous that my hair would never be able to do that.

I kind of want to translate this coat pattern just to figure out wth is going on with it.  It looks like it's knit sideways with giant short rows and changes of yarn?  Bizarre and terrible looking, but curiosity compels me.

All in all, this collection is mostly just a retro novelty, and I'm glad I didn't spend more than a dime on it.  I wish I could find more info on the yarn companies, but alas a semi-deep internet search has given me nothing.  I like searching up historical data about textile and craft companies, and it bugs me to come up with so much nothing.  

I have a feeling that none of the yarns called for exist any more, and finding substitutes without knowing anything about the originals will be difficult.  Between that and the seemingly extra-abbreviated patterns in a language I cannot read, recreating any of these may be quite the challenge.

On the other hand, I do like puzzles.