When I first saw UNIVERSAL YARN Bella Bounce, I was immediately drawn to its soft, bouncy texture and cozy halo. It’s a blend of 71% wool and 29% polyamide, offering the perfect balance of warmth, elasticity, and durability. The polyamide lends resilience, while the wool provides that touchable softness and spring.
UY Bella Bounce is so bouncy soft! I chose the Shortcake colorway
At first sight, I thought the Bubble Sleeve Shrug knitting pattern by Afifa Sayeed, a playful, cropped layering piece, would be perfect for layering over a holiday outfit. The Shortcake colorway will go well with a comfortable outfit I have planned for the holidays…I’m thinking New Year’s Eve…
The pattern highlights the plush quality of this yarn. With its rhythmic increases and ruching, this shrug really lets Bella Bounce’s texture shine. The shrug is a very quick knit! It took roughly four evenings to complete. It’s the benefit of knitting with thick yarn!
The Bubble Sleeve Shrug knitting pattern by Afifa Sayeed
The Perfect Match: needles that bring out the best in Bella Bounce
I decided to knit this project using two of my favorite needle sets: KNITTER’S PRIDE The Mindful Collection and Knit Picks Rainbow Wood needles.
The Mindful Collection offers a smooth stainless-steel glide, ideal for even stitches and quick knitting, while the Rainbow needles add a touch of warmth and gentle friction to keep this bouncy yarn perfectly under control. Switching between them gave me a real feel for how Bella Bounce behaves, slightly stretchy, but incredibly cooperative.
Using knitting needles from KNITTER’S PRIDE The Mindful Collection and Knit Picks Rainbow Wood to knit the Bubble Sleeve Shrug
Swatching for success
Before casting on for the shrug, I worked up a swatch to test both gauge and stitch definition. The pattern calls for a gauge of 14 stitches and 18 rows = 4″ in stockinette on US 11 (8 mm) needles, after blocking. I wasn’t too concerned about the rows.
My Bella Bounce swatch bloomed beautifully after washing and blocking; the fibers relaxed, and the stitches filled out evenly. I also tested, but not pictured here, the smaller US 9 (5.5 mm) needles, used for the cuff portions of the shrug, to see how the fabric structure would change. The smaller needle created a tighter texture, which will contrast nicely against the airy sleeves when knit in garter stitch, creating the ruching.
My swatch with the larger needles
The Joy of the First Rows
With my swatch complete and needles ready, I can already tell this project is going to be pure knitting comfort. Bella Bounce yarn glides effortlessly and springs back with each stitch, genuinely living up to its name. It’s soft enough to wear against the skin, yet firm enough to hold the dramatic bubble shape of the sleeves.
Join me tomorrow, and I’ll share a thought or two about KNITTER’S PRIDE The Mindful Collection and Knit Picks Rainbow Wood needles.
This is part 1 of 5 in this series
Go to part 2: The Mindful knitting needles that elevate every stitch
