Niche Knitting Yarn Review – Bamboo Yarn

One way to make your products unique and specialised for a niche market is to use unique yarns with special properties. A good example is Bamboo Knitting Yarn, which is now becoming very popular.

Bamboo Yarn will give your knitted pieces some fantastic natural advantages that will immediately make them great niche product for babies or people with sensitive skin or allergies.

This amazing natural fibre:

►Gives a beautiful, soft silky yarn that is lightweight and has a lovely lustre

►Does not pill as easily as some yarns

►Is Hypo-allergenic and Anti-bacterial, making it ideal for babies and people who have sensitive skin and can’t wear wool or other fibres. It’s antibacterial qualities also make it an excellent knitting yarn for socks!

►Is lighter than cotton and makes breathable garments with a lovely drape, comfortable for summer wear

►Makes UV protective garments

►Has high moisture absorption and anti-bacterial properties, making it a good choice for washcloths and hand-towels

►Is Ecologically friendly – bamboo is a totally renewable resource, the plant does not have to be destroyed to be harvested, and regrows very quickly. Bamboo plants are very resistant to microbial attack and so do not require chemical sprays. The whole distilling and production process is non-polluting and produces natural and eco-friendly fiber without any chemical additives.

►Is totally plant derived so is suitable for vegans who do not want to wear animal fibres

►Is totally biodegradable

The only down-sides of pure bamboo yarns are that they need to be hand-washed, and they do tend to split while you are knitting with them. Some brands seem to have more knots and imperfections in the yarn than others.

Using Bamboo or wooden needles (not metal needles) is one way to avoid splitting.

Also have a look at the many blended bamboo yarns, which will give you the wonderful properties of bamboo, and reduce the tendency for splitting.  Silk/bamboo blends are popular for a really beautiful shiny finish, and a bamboo/cotton blend for great natural look and absorbent properties.

If you are promoting your bamboo-yarn products as antibacterial, it is best to use 100% bamboo yarn. If you really want to use a blend, then make sure you use one with at least 70% bamboo content to ensure the finished garment still has these antibacterial properties.

Some 100% bamboo yarns that are available:

►Bam Boo by Classic Elite

►Bamboo by Southwest Trading Company

►Just Bamboo by Sirdar

►Bamboo Tape by Rowan

If you have used any of these and have some feedback, leave a comment and let us all know what you thought of it! In the meantime, I’ll keep scouting for other new yarns and blends that will help your knitting business stand out from the crowd!