It is very unusual for us to carry bulky-weight yarn -- generally speaking we go for yarns that can have beads added and/or work well for lace stitchwork. But when I was shown this yarn I was simply blown away by the colors -- and it seems to me that sometimes a lovely bulky becomes a great vacation from more complex works.
And so we got in some of this most lovely Bamboo Bloom Handpaints from Universal Yarn.
We got a bunch of handpainted colors (and a few more to come -- I find it hard to resist gorgeous hues) and a few of their "solid" (or almost so) Bamboo Bloom as well. The yarn varies from a thick (roving-type-section into a thin (shiny rayon look) [I took one photo showing how the yarn itself looks -- you can see it as the last photo below, shown in the solid Bamboo Bloom colorway called Rice, which is a lovely neutral ecru/ off whites (we got it because we thought it would be marvelous as itself or as a highlight with these beauties).]
As Universal puts it: "This new self-texturing yarn is really something special - it mixes long strands of rayon made from bamboo with short slubs of wool for a really outstanding look. On its own - and in plain stockinette or garter stitch, the results are arty and unique without sacrificing softness or drape."
Yum again.
The fiber is 48% Rayon/ 44% wool/ 8% Acrylic and there are 154 yards (140 meters) to each 3.5 ounce (100 gram) skein.
The suggested needles are US Size 9 (5.5 mm) for 15 stitches x 22 rows = 4" in stockinette. Or crochet hook US Size K - 10.5 (6.5mm) for 14 sc x 16 rows = 4".
It should be handwashed.
We did get in a few patterns for it, mostly to get an idea of how it works up, and notice that a hat (17 1/2" to 20" circumference x 7" to 8" length) needs only one skein and a scarf (7 1/2' x 64") in stockinette takes two. So this could be marvelous as a quick gift -- a rest from more complex items or a panicked I-need-something-quick item.
On this page we show the four colorways of Bamboo Bloom Handpaints that we currently have in stock, in the order that we have them shown below:
• Geisha - a wonderful mix of colors that is somehow delicate and rich at the same time. There are pinks and sherberts and peaches and roses -- sounds delicious, doesn't it?
• Koi Pond - a marvelous mix of roses and reds and gold and lime with a few hues in between
• Fallen Petals - a gorgeous mix of roses and pinks with a touch of close-to-teal green
• Red Maple - a stunning mix with oranges, reds, goldenrod with a bit of shadowy charcoal and some ecru.
There are two great free patterns listed on Ravelry for this yarn, each taking one skein each.
The last photo below shows Penelope. Click on it to see the other, Persephone. The Penelope Handpaints Cowl features simple stockinette stitch worked on the bamboo/rayon sections of the yarn, and a small bobble worked on the wool slub sections of the yarn. And the Persephone Handpaints Cowl is worked much in the same way - with stockinette stitch worked on the bamboo/rayon sections of the yarn, and double wrapped stitches on the wool sections of the yarn. Use the Search engine feature in Ravelry's pattern section to get the patterns for these two great ideas.
Lovely!
