Naturally luxurious fibers

According to an ancient Chinese proverb, "we cannot live without bamboo for a single day." Judging by the way Bonsai® is flying out of our Berroco warehouse, it seems that our customers do agree. There has been a growing interest across America to review our consumption of materials that are not sustainable and renewable and research has allowed spinners to develop cellulistic fiber from bamboo. Within the space of just a few months, bamboo can grow over 2 meters. Whereas rayon has been produced from the pulp of trees for many years, those trees don't regenerate nearly as quickly. Wherever it grows, the bamboo is regarded as a giver of long life. In China and in the Phillipines, it is a symbol of luck. In India it is a token of friendship and in Japan it stands for purity.

Our Bonsai™ yarn is spun and dyed in Turkey in the form of a knit sateen ribbon that is wrapped with a shiny filament arranged to echo the growth pattern of bamboo. In a palette of 9 colors reminiscent of shades found in nature, our glistening ribbon drapes beautifully in colors that flatter many skin tones.

For Spring 2007, we have introduced a collection of 7 patterns in our Booklet #255 Bonsai. Beaujolais is a surplice wrap kimono-inspired top with an interesting tie belt attached to the neck opening. Its length and asymmetry are very flattering to many figures. Bento is a clever knitted i-cord with drop stitch pods creating an organic neckpiece or belt. Belmont is a pullover knit from side to side and worked in 2 sections. Each of the back and front sections includes half of the sleeve and the yoke is formed by short rows. Brenda is a short sleeved pullover with a raglan sleeve cap. Berenice is a low V-neck pullover with drop stitch band at the hem and cuffs and a rolled edging at the neckline. Benedicta is a ballet neck pullover with a generous portion of a frostflower lace and other easy lace stitches with a ribbed bodice. Berlin is a knit mesh cardigan with short raglan sleeves and a drawstring closure at the waist.

This week we are introducing 9 Pure®Merino Heather shades to our family palette of Pure Merino. We are also posting 2 free men's patterns to knit in our sophisticated luxury merino wool. Ben is an easy v-neck pullover with cables and Milo is knit in an easy, dimensional multi-color pattern stitch. The men in your life will love the subtle yet elegant heather tones that will harmonize with their winter wardrobe. Look for the new Pure Merino Heathers at your local yarn shop.

Winners of Barbara Delinsky's Family Tree novel will be announced in next week's KnitBits!

Sue from cyberspace wrote to tell us this sad story with a very happy ending. "A couple of years ago I knit a pullover. The pattern called for size 6 needles. It wasn't until I was practically finished knitting that I realized that I had read the number of the needle upside down and that I had knit the entire sweater on size 9. Well, I finished it anyway and when I tried it on, I loved it. It wasn't a fitted little pullover that was in the picture, but on me the extra inches were very comfortable and flattering. I really don't think that I would have liked the uptight version as much had I knit with the right size needles."

Sue, this was a fortunate mistake and as a designer I can really appreciate it. I learn so much more by accident than I do from following instructions. You learned that adding ease to a knitted garment can transform it. Once you know what proportions look best on you, you can manipulate your schematic to suit your needs. If you love the fit of this garment, I suggest that you take its measurements and keep them in a notebook for future knitting projects.

All the best.

Margery Winter Creative Director