It’s the new, hot fiber that stays cool in the summer sun, wicks sweat and water away, and is being used in everything from towels and swim suits to men’s dress suits and lingerie. It’s soft, smooth, lightweight, silky and a long departure for spinners who are used to wool – but for all its differences from wool, Bamboo is most definitely worth taking out for a spin on your wheel or spindle. Just don’t head out unprepared – Bamboo can be a breeze to spin, but you’ll need a few tips before you begin to create gorgeous yarn in this summer’s Star Fiber.
Almost Silk, But Not
For starters, bamboo doesn’t have a crimp like wool does, so it doesn’t stick to itself in the same way as wool. It drafts quickly, much like silk, so start off slowly until you get a feel for it. The good news is that while bamboo shares many of the same luxury traits of silk, such as sheen, softness, and intensity of color when dyed, bamboo isn’t quite as slippery as silk and it doesn’t have the tendency to float away or get stuck to your clothes, furniture, hair or catch on hang nails or rough skin in the same way silk does. It’s an ideal intermediate fiber for spinners interested in making the transition from wool to silk; though you may forget all about silk once you try bamboo!
Back Away From The Acid Dyes!
The second thing worth noting is that bamboo is a cellulose, or plant, fiber and won’t dye using the same methods you use for wool, especially if you have been using acid dyes. Now, before you go Google how to dye bamboo fiber (it’s a lot of information to sort through!), let me share with you the starter set-up for dying cellulose fibers, and bamboo specifically: Fiber Reactive (or Procion) dyes, soda ash and water. That is really it! You don’t need any other chemicals, solutions, urea, soap, softeners or powders. Soda ash is easy to find, as well – most pool stores carry it with the brand label of pH UP, and you should be able to find it at gardening/hardware stores as well. (I get my dyes and soda ash from Dharma Trading Co. - they are fast, with great prices and a huge selection. If you are going to dye bamboo, check them out first.)
Long Draw & The Dryer
Last, but not least, I’ve found that a long-draw technique, using your free hand to control the amount of twist reaching your draft zone, works wonders with bamboo – it’s very fast, and the end result is a solid, even yarn that shines like silk and is soft as cashmere… all while being machine wash and dry-able! Just remember to throughly secure your yarn as a twisted and tied hank placed in a netted laundry bag before putting it in the machines… or you may end up with gorgeous, but unusable yarn. Trust me on this one! 
7 Comments
Hi great info site, thanks so much.
I had someone ask me if when dyeing bamboo yarn do you use HOT water the same as with wool (I only do acid dyes so wasn’t sure on this one) Thanks again.
Most welcome Laurie, I’m so glad it helped! With bamboo, I usually hand-paint, and let the paint set in a covered bowl. With a dye bath, I’d be inclined to go with a cold/tap-warm water and soda ash soak, and then pour the dyes on to the fiber after 15-30 minutes of soaking; going slowly to make sure the fiber took the dye evenly. Perhaps try a low water immersion first (just enough water to cover the fiber) and add dye in slowly until you know how fast the bamboo takes up the dye. Hope this helps, and if you have any other questions, I’d love to try and answer! Thanks so much for your comment and for reading!
I have been spinning bamboo, but I am noticing that if I do not give it a lot of twist, it falls apart. But when I skein it, it is clearly over-spun, unless I ply it. Is bamboo typically plied? I seem to recall seeing it in singlet form in the stores.
Hi Erica!
Have you tried spinning from the fold with bamboo yet? It falls apart on me when I draft from the end of the top/roving, too; spinning from the fold seems to tangle the fibers a bit more, and it seems to hold better that way.
Just a quick note - I don’t usually spin bamboo singles much heavier than fingering weight, and the yarns tend to be pretty dense. More worsted than woolen, if that makes sense?
i just spun my first bamboo yarn! i was so excited, it looked amazing on the bobbin, all soft, no too twisted. i decided to ply it with silk, but let the bamboo wrap AROUND the silk, to focus more on the colors in the bamboo. it looked like an airy, soft-spun wool. but when i went to set the twist, *i soaked in warmn water, and laid flat to dry* i realized after it had dried, that it had not retained ANY of those lovely qualities.it looks squashed, like it was sitting on the bottom of a box for two years!!! IS THERE ANY WAY TO SALVAGE MY ONCE-AMAZING YARN?????
Hi Jessica!
Do you happen to have pictures of your bamboo yarn, before and/or after? I think I understand what you are saying, but want to make sure!
If not, you could possibly tie it up VERY securely in lots of places, place it in a well tied mesh bag (the kind used for holding laundry work well) and toss it in the dryer on gentle for a short period of time. I’ve noticed that bamboo does tend to stick to itself, unless blended with wool. Unfortunately it doesn’t have the same memory and bounce as wool does due to having a lot less crimp in the fiber!
Hope that helps a bit!
I really, really want to dye a wool/bamboo (40% bamboo) blend. I am new to dyeing. Do you have any experience with the blended yarns? I am seeing so many different ideas.
thank you. Rhonda
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