Patons' Embroidered Badges

 I found two embroidered badges in the Knitting & Crochet Guild collection quite a while ago. They are machine-embroidered on felt, with a stiff backing, vaguely heraldic in design, with 'PATONS', a beehive and 'HANDKNITS', and measure about 5in. (13cm.) by 3½ in. (9cm.). 

'PATONS HANDKNITS' embroidered badge

They were mixed with with assorted publications (patterns, magazines, ...) with no clue about what they were for or when they were produced.  I thought of them as a pair, like elbow patches, but clearly that's not what they are.  

Then quite recently, a Guild member asked me for a copy of a Patons pattern leaflet, number 3196. She had knitted the skirt and sweater for herself in the late 1980s, and would like to make them again.  She had the original pattern but it had been torn and she needed a new copy. (Copies of vintage patterns are a benefit of Guild membership, with permission from Patons in this case, as they own the copyright.)

Patons leaflet 3196

And there, on the sleeve of the sweater, was an embroidered badge like the two in the collection.  The list of materials required has 'Decorative badge (optional)'  and also 'Shoulder pads (optional)' - those were the 1980s, when women's coats and jackets had shoulder pads, and often cardigans, sweaters and blouses did too, so that you could end up with a stack of three or four on each shoulder. 

The pattern was published in 1987, and I looked at other pattern leaflets with neighbouring numbers to see if any others showed the badges.  I found seven more, all for Patons Diploma yarn, which was a 60% wool, 40% acrylic mix, sold in a chunky weight and a DK.  The sweater in leaflet 3196 is knitted in Diploma Chunky and the skirt in Diploma DK - all the other patterns are for Chunky. 

You could have the badge on your sleeve, or on the front of your sweater or jacket....

Patons leaflet 3191

... or on a pocket...

Patons leaflet 3195 

...and a child might like one too. 

Patons leaflet 3206

I am very pleased to be able to assign a date to the badges in the collection, and to know how they were intended to be used.  But I wonder how many knitters did actually sew them onto their finished garments.