Finished! Sirdar Just Bamboo Tank

It's been a little slow on the knitting front, but I'm really happy that I've finished this gift for my SIL way ahead of time for her birthday. Now I have some extra time to shop for a pretty bag to wrap it in. I contemplated getting her a card as well, but we're not a very formal family & even if I bought a card, it would probably just say 'For You', which frankly, I think is a waste of $2.50 that can be spent on lunch.

Here's a picture of it being blocked on the couch. See all those ends hanging out? It will take forever to sew them in, any volunteers?

I panicked slightly after washing, it shrank by almost 2 inches width-wise & I had to really stretch it out & pin it in order to get it to the right size. Makes me wonder how I'm going to teach my SIL to block this... or maybe I shall just tell her never to wash it...? On the other hand, I washed a spare swatch & didnt block it but just laid it flat to dry, after which it relaxed upon drying.. so maybe it will be alright. Thank goodness I made it a size bigger so even if it shrinks it still won't be too tight.

The pattern is from Sirdar, I used about 4.5 balls of the Just Bamboo yarn in Shade 0117 for the medium size. I shortened the torso by about 2 inches, and left out the waist shaping as I wasn't too sure how to re-calculate it, but I will definitely put it in next time as it does look a little bit baggy at the waist.

All in all, I'm really pleased with the yarn, and the pattern is simple & quick enough (took me about 10 days of knitting) to make another someday. Now off to tackle the zillion extremely slippery yarn ends... See ya!

Eco-friendly yarn review

'Eco-friendly' is the hottest new buzzword on the catwalks nowadays. Just check out these articles by Elle, and Thinkfashion. Fabrics & fibers that are bio-degradeable, chemical fertiliser & pesticide-free, sustainable and renewable are the latest trends in the fashion world today.

The buzz has translated into 'eco-friendly yarns' and this has led to the emergence of bamboo, linen, hemp, soy, organic cotton, even corn yarn! If knitters elsewhere in the world are excited over this, let me tell you that knitters living in tropical climates like us are jumping up & down everyday, and no longer plotting to migrate to someplace with four seasons. We used to have only one sweaty-weather alternative to wool - cotton. Now.. we have all those other exotic fibers, PLUS we get to slap an 'eco-friendly' tag to it & feel good about ourselves!

So with above excuse (reasoning? whatever) in mind, I picked up 6 balls of the Sirdar Just Bamboo yarn - for a simple tank for my SIL's birthday present. All in the name of saving the environment, you see...

This is a 100% bamboo tape yarn that is extremely soft and lighter than cotton. Unlike some of the metallic-looking ribbon yarns, there is only a very slight sheen and it doesn't have any of the crunchiness so often seen in ribbon yarns. The resulting knitted fabric is soothingly drapey, elegant, soft & light; and slightly cool to the touch (although actually, that last bit could be due to the air-conditioning..)

The yarn is roughly worsted weight (19st to 4 inch), using a 5.5mm needle. The yarn is a joy to knit with as it doesn't split and even though it is slightly slippery, it is not unmanageably so.

I chose a light tan color - not the most exciting but I think it showcases the simple pattern well. The only quibble I have about this yarn is the rather small color selection - muted shades of rose, lilac, blue, and neutrals - would definitely have preferred a wider range with darker shades or jewel-tones.

Now that I've tried bamboo.... some Amaizing corn yarn.. anyone?