Bamboo Bloom Yarn Review + Raglan Pattern Sneak Peek

    

    To give an idea of how much Bamboo Bloom yarn I’ve used, I’m on version 5 of the same sweater. After a lot of knitting, blocking, ripping back up, and starting over, I’ve gotten pretty familiar with this yarn — and the raglan pattern I’m working on is finally getting close. So today I’m putting everything together: a yarn review, a pattern sneak peek, and all the random thoughts I’ve collected along the way.

Yarn Review

    Bamboo Bloom Handpaints by Universal Yarn comes in 100g (154yd) skeins and is made up of 48% rayon from bamboo, 44% wool, and 8% acrylic. It’s labeled as a bulky yarn, but the texture isn’t consistent — it’s a thick-and-thin yarn with sections that are silky and smooth and others that are fuzzier and more woolly. Some sections are thick and puffy, while others thin out a lot and feel almost delicate. The silky parts are soft and shiny, which gives it a really pretty sheen, but also makes it a little slippery to work with sometimes.

    One of the best things about Bamboo Bloom is that it’s never boring to work with. Every project looks different, even when you’re using skeins from the same color lot. The way the colors change and the thick and thin sections fall into place makes each project unique. That randomness keeps the knitting interesting and gives the fabric a lot of character. Another huge plus is how easily it spit-splices. Even though it’s only 44% wool, the yarn felts together fast and holds really well, which makes it easy to join new skeins without extra knots or ends to deal with later. It’s especially helpful because the silky sections can be tricky to weave in cleanly. Even though it looks a little unpredictable while knitting, washing and blocking make it settle into a much prettier, smoother fabric with beautiful drape.

    That said, Bamboo Bloom definitely has its quirks. It’s hard to get an accurate sense of the fit until after you’ve blocked it. The yarn loosens and relaxes quite a bit, so it’s tough to judge how things are coming together until the fabric has had time to settle. While it looks a little messy while knitting, the end result is much better after heavy blocking. Just be prepared for it to take about 2 full days for it to dry on the blocking mat. The slippery, silky sections also make it tough to weave in ends securely, and handwashing is a bit of a hassle too. My plan is to spray with diluted vodka in between washes, apparently that’s a trick people use on delicate fabrics to keep them fresher for longer. 

    As for durability, it’s still a little early to say for sure. What I can tell so far is that the yarn handled heavy blocking and steaming without any issues — it didn’t fall apart or get fragile in the process. Rayon-based yarns like this do tend to loosen and stretch out over time, especially with looser knits, but the pattern was designed with that in mind. Overall, I really like working with Bamboo Bloom, enough to be on version #5. It’s not the easiest yarn if you’re looking for something totally predictable or low-maintenance, but the unique texture, color shifts, and drape make it worth it. It’’s one of those yarns where the quirks are part of the charm.

Raglan Pattern Sneak Peek

    When I first got my hands on Bamboo Bloom, I had a hard time finding the perfect pattern. Most of what I found were shawls or scarves, but I was looking for something different. I kept imagining a kind of artsy, lacy long sleeve that had a relaxed, effortless vibe. I wanted to keep things simple, with minimal seams to keep the texture consistent and to avoid any weird bulking at seam lines. A raglan structure felt like the perfect fit, especially because it’s so easy to adjust and customize. I’d read a few mentions that bottom-up raglans are often a good choice for heavier or more textured yarns like this one because it lets you make changes easily as you go. Since the neckline is the last part you work, you can easily unravel a bit and rework it without having to redo the whole thing.

    At the time of writing this, I just shipped out a size 2 to my friend for a test fit, and I’m really hoping it works out well for her. I’m currently working on another size 1 to fine-tune the neckline shaping, this time with straight sleeves. The original size 1 came out pretty close, but I decided to add a few more rows at the underarms to get a better fit. Once I see how the size 2 fits and finish adjusting the size 1, I’ll have a much clearer idea of how everything is coming together. I’m hoping to have this pattern ready soon — stay tuned if you’re interested!

Original size 1 with flared sleeves

Current WIP