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!