I invite you on a week’s knitting adventure as I discover the beauty and challenges of knitting with thick and thin bulky yarn.
The yarn is UNIVERSAL YARN Bamboo Bloom Handpaint, which resembles a handspun art yarn. It’s a chunky yarn, thick and thin, matte and shiny. A fortunate blend of fiber brings the wool warmth together with the softness, sheen, and drape of bamboo viscose, and the strength of acrylic.
I will work with the Nami colorway, a breathtaking blend that evokes the serene beauty of glaciers, frozen lakes, and ice. This soft colorway will complement many colors in a winter wardrobe, creating a stunning final product.
UNIVERSAL YARN Bamboo Bloom Handpaint
The biggest challenge, as I see it in the beginning, is choosing a simple stitch pattern that will allow the yarn to shine and become the focal point of my project.
The next challenge is finding some simple projects to test different stitch patterns with this yarn and showcase its beauty.
The recommended knitting needle is US 9 [5.5mm] and this is supposed to give me a gauge of 15 sts x 22 rows = 4” [10cm] in stockinette stitch.
The first pattern I chose is Sprinkle Mittens.
Sprinkle Mittens
The pattern calls for a gauge of 19 stitches and 28 rounds for 4” [10cm]. That means I’ll have to use a smaller needle than the one recommended for my Bamboo Bloom Handpaint. I’ll get a denser fabric, perfect for winter accessories.
My swatch on size US 7 [4.5mm] gives me 18 stitches and 26 rows over 4” [10cm], a gauge close enough to the one required by the pattern.
A swatch worked in stockinette stitch
I have my needles, my yarn and my notions ready.
notions
- KNITTER’S PRIDE The Mindful Markers
- KNITTER’S PRIDE Mindful Row Counter
- CLOVER – Chibi Tapestry Needle Set – Bent Style
- SOAK – no-rinse gentle laundry detergent
I settled on the 7 [4.5mm] needles and can start knitting the easy mittens.
The pattern uses a stockinette stitch and a twisted rib and therefore I’ll explore these two stitches with the thick and thin yarn.
Twisted rib knitted with UY Bamboo Bloom Handpaint
The project starts with a twisted rib, my first challenge with the thick and thin yarn. Wrapping the yarn around the needle and knitting or purling through the back loop is challenging in the thick parts of the yarn. I must make sure I do not split the yarn.
After the twisted rib, the project works fast. The stockinette stitch shows the variations in color and texture of the yarn. It creates an artsy, rustic feel for this project.
Separating the thumb stitches is fast, and I can finish the project quickly.
Work in progress for knitting mittens with UY Bamboo Bloom Handpaint
I used almost a full skein of yarn for both mittens.
After finishing the two mittens, I soak them for half an hour with SOAK – no-rinse gentle laundry detergent; I lay them flat to dry and have them ready for the cold days of late fall or winter.
My finished mittens knitted with UY Bamboo Bloom Handpaint
Join me tomorrow to tackle another stitch pattern with the chunky thick and thin UNIVERSAL YARN Bamboo Bloom Handpaint.
This is part 1 of 5 in this series
