by Erin Doherty

Created on: October 17, 2009

One of the latest trends in non-wool yarn for crafting is bamboo. Since bamboo plants grow rapidly without the use of pesticide or fertilizer and contain a large percentage of cellulose to maintain structure, they are excellent for commercial yarn production. Nearly all commercial yarn producers have at least one bamboo-containing yarn in their product line.

One driver of this new trend is the emphasis on green materials. Although bamboo fiber is a renewable resource, the process of removing the fiber may not be. Bamboo may be extracted by a mechanical method, which is generally ecologically friendly, but this process is extremely labor-intensive. The alternative is to extract and refine the fiber using a solvent-based method similar to making rayon from various tree species. Chemical used in this process likely include caustic soda, carbon disulfide, and sulfuric acid. Even considering the chemical extraction process, bamboo may be more ecologically sound than cotton and rayon.

Bamboo fiber takes dye well and bamboo can imitate the sheen and drape of silk or rayon. Pure bamboo yarn has excellent drape and sheen, but is relatively inelastic and can be too heavy for use in lace patterns. Large objects such as sweaters should be knit at a relatively small gauge if the so that the finished object can retain its shape. Since most pure bamboo yarns tend to have more than six plies, it can be difficult to work with. As bamboo becomes more popular, pure bamboo yarn that is cable plied or woven into a tape is becoming more common. Cable plying may allow large objects to retain their shape at a standard gauge. Tape yarn will also allow for shape retention, but may be very inelastic as a result.

When bamboo is blended with other fibers, the advantages of the fiber are retained. Blending bamboo with cotton improves the drape, sheen, and workability of cotton. Adding nylon to a bamboo/cotton blend allows it to be used for socks in warm climates. Blending bamboo with wool, especially merino wool, results in a soft yarn that is suitable for year-round clothing in most regions.

With all of the advantages of bamboo comes one disadvantage the price. Bamboo is generally more expensive than other plant-based yarns, including cotton and rayon. The high price may be due to the extraction process or to the fact that bamboo yarn is still a relatively recent and trendy addition to your local yarn store. As this product matures, both the extraction process cost and trendiness of bamboo should decrease, allowing the price to decrease accordingly.

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