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December 26, 2007
Bamboo thrums
This must be the softest stuff I have ever touched:
It's like the precious softness of a newborn baby's head.
It's like the softest depths of a kitty's belly.
And, no, I haven't developed an interest in spinning. But when I saw the Midwest-Style Thrummed Mitts in No Sheep for You
Unfortunately, I found the prices of silk roving a little hard to handle on a student's budget. Instead, Lucy at Mind's Eye Yarns hooked me up with some 100% bamboo roving, which I think is even better! Let's see... anti-microbial, moisture-wicking, breathable, and a renewal resource. And based on the vibrant colors I saw in the shop, it holds dye exceptionally well.
I decided to pair this rich turquoise-blue fiber with an orange yarn, a cotton blend called Touché from Berroco. You may remember this yarn from some shadow knitting attempts that didn't result in anything. But I think the thrummed mittens are a perfect use for it!
And the inside of the mitten? Oooo, I wish you could slip your hand into the bamboo-y goodness! The fiber is very smooth and silky, so some strands invariably get stuck between fingers and in jewelry. But the softness is divine!
Comments
Those are some gorgeous mittens! I love the vibrant blue. My husband and daughter bought me 3 balls of a bamboo blend yarn for Christmas, and it's one of the softest yarns I've ever felt.
Absolutely beautiful color combination!
Interesting. Does the bamboo feel at all like it will slip out of the stitch?
I'm also curious about slipperiness and thrum stability. I love the colors together, though, and the shine is great.
I'm going to go slightly counter to most of the comments - I love that orange yarn. I've used Berroco Touché for baby projects. It comes in such nice colors, and the finished fabric is something you just want to rub against your face. (That's generally my benchmark for whether or not I want to work with a yarn again.)
It goes without saying, of course, that that bamboo is gorgeous.
Yummy. That is fabulous. How do they get it so shiny?!
Wow - those are gorgeous colors!
I have been wanting to do those mitts for awhile!
YUM @ bamboo
Those are amazing and gorgeous! I need a pair!
The colors are beautiful - jewels pop out - very nice!
One comment about bamboo... it's not particularly warm, which is perfect for California. You might save these for above freezing weather when the sun can dance on the colors.
PS: I used Knitter's Logic on a pair of Cat Bordhi socks and had to rip out :-/
those little hearts are just precious! and I love the colour combination!
WOW! love the colour combo!
I love those colors together!! And they look so soft and warm... Must. Find. Bamboo. Now.
I LOVE those colors together and never in a million years would I have chosen that combo. Gorgeous!
Wow, that bamboo roving is to die for! The color is gorgeous! And I can imagine just how soft it is. Ahhhhhhh.... The mitten looks great.
Love the colour combo! Bright contrastiness for winter. How could you not love those shiny blue hearts?
Very Seussical colors, perfect for a cold winter day!!
Gorgeous------ I know the softness will make you smile for cold days to come!
I'm enthralled with the striking colors of your thrummed mittens. I've had a pair of these on my "to-do" list for some time, but several UFO's must take precedence so the New Year can be started off with a clean knitting slate. Cheers!
The yarn store near me has some spinning supplies and for some reason they have free samples of bamboo roving. I've been carrying some around in my bag for about a year now, it's SO SOFT!
Broncos fan? LOL They look great and they sound sumptuous!!
Good Lord ... those are my college colors!!
I love the colors!
Maybe you should get a spindle and spin up the rest of the bamboo - it will make wonderful yarn too.
Oooh, that just LOOKS amazingly soft!
Ooooh, I love the mittens, I never thought to use bamboo fiber for the thrums, brilliant!
That is absolutely gorgeous. I literally gasped when I saw it. And the combo of the orange and blue is even better.
I don't think I ever would have thought to use those two colors together, but they are supremely beautiful together. And it looks sooooo soft! I might have to give those thrummed mittens a try. They always look so warm!
Gorgeous mittens! I've been very excited about combinations of blue and orange lately.
Gorgeous! I'm glad you found a good use for Touche` - it's one of my favorite yarns! I especially love the colors you picked. =)
cute! i love the color combo.
i've got thrumbs on the brain too. soon.
You are about to start another sensation - I can feel it! There will be bamboo-thrummed mittens everywhere. This is a great gift idea for my in-laws, who are allergic to wool, so no doubt I'll be jumping on the bandwagon, even if it doesn't materialize until next Christmas. Hope your holidays were excellent!
xox, J
Ooh - those colors are beautiful. It never occurred to me to use a plant fiber for thrummed mittens. I'll have to make my vegan buddy a pair!
That is an inspired color combo!I have a pair of thrummed mittens that I like, but now that I've seen the possibility of a bamboo lining, they suddenly seem a little less alluring.
I love how vivid and bright these colors are. I'm not sure if I will ever make thrummed mitts, but I would love to just play with the bamboo roving (though I'm not a spinner so I don't know what I'd do with it).
Wow! Absolutely stunning. I love the color combination.
Love 'em! I was curious, too, if the bamboo (or even if the silk) would tend to slip out? I love the Touche as well.
Wow that is really stunning! I bet the inside of those mittens is really luxurious :) Great idea.
Wow. I love those mittens. I really want to try knitting thrum mittens.
Totally unrelated but- I am knitting some Jaywalker socks but I would like to use size 2 needles instead of size1. I was wondering if there was a way to downsize the pattern. Thank you.
Vibrant--I love it!
Love that! They sound downright scrumptious to wear! I like the colors you used, too!
How funny, I'm making thrummed mittens too.
Love the colors. Like another commenter, I gasped too when I first saw all that lovely shiny *blue*ness of the bamboo.
the roving is absolutely breathtaking! Great job with the color choices too :)
That looks divine! It will keep you warm with all this crazy weather we've been having in Cambridge.
Great mittens. I love the color combo and now I need to go find some bamboo roving so I can see how soft it is. Happy New Year.
Those are AWESOME! Great job.
Hey Kathy~~
I hope your having a great time on your NEW YEARS day!
Hope eveythings goes will and big luck wish your best~~
Also visit my blog...I made a post about preview of new knitting book 2008!
love,
Charles
Happy New Year!
Lovely! Happy new year! Just wanted to mention that I'm also running a little contest over at my blog so be sure to stop by!
I was wondering something. Usually, thrums are held in by felting. How do you think that vegetable fibers will do with keeping the thrums in place? It certainly is beautiful, though.
Beautiful color, great softness - but are they warm enough? Let us know how they hold up.
Lucy is wonderful :)
And bamboo......Mmmmmm....
That bamboo looks luscious! I can't wait to hear about how it wears.
That is such a stunning color combination. Beautiful!
Those mitts are beautiful! You inspired me to try make a pair of my own...only started today, though, hopefully I´ll have something ready in a week or so :)
Those mitts are beautiful! You inspired me to try make a pair of my own...only started today, though, hopefully I´ll have something ready in a week or so :)
Wonderful. Here in Rio de Janeiro i just can dream with this yarn!
Bjs, Marcia.
WOOOOOOWWWW! BEE-UUUU-TI-FULLLLL! I love it! Have fun wearing them too! What a nice treat to have all that lovely softness next to your hands to help keep them warm!