B*#@%* Bamboo

Bamboo: not currently on my favourites list. Here's my little pile of discarded, broken ends from the first 8g or so of my spinning:

• OK, so it's glossy and white with good drape and inherent antibacterial properties.


• OK, so the plant grows quickly and is incredibly versatile.


• But--it's a pain to spin! It's slippery, doesn't hold twist well and breaks easily;


• And at the end of the day, the yarn doesn't make me sit up and take notice.

I have to finish this sample of bamboo alone, then do a sample of bamboo-wool blend. The bad news is that I then have to do the same for soy and tencel, and I expect them to behave in about the same way. All three are semi-synthetic cellulose fibres. My vote is that they should just stay in the factory where they've been chemically broken down before being extruded into fibres. They can just go ahead and form a yarn there, without coming out half prepared to tease and frustrate a spinner's fingers. So! On the other hand, bamboo does take dye particularly well, so maybe, just maybe it will redeem itself.