Laura's Loop: Bamboo Shell

Knitting in front of nail-biting soccer matches has its pitfalls. High tensions result in tight knitting. Jumping in celebration leads to dropped stitches. Mournful losses extinguish all desire to even pick up your needles. Oh, but when a game is good and you’re working in speedy, soft bamboo, progress really barrels along!

I did not initially envision this top to be quite so long, but before I knew it, I had breezed through 6 inches of seed stitch and 12 inches of stockinette, bidding farewell to the cropped top dancing in my head and saying hello to an elegant, hip-length version. Loving this length, but unable to quite let go of my original vision, my Bamboo Shell pattern gives instructions for both, plus an in-between waist-length style.

Back to the action… The fast-growing back of my sweater meant I needed to quickly work up and over the shoulders in order to knit a slightly shorter front. Translation: I had a lot of knitting ahead of me, but a lot of soccer too! I couldn’t have been happier.

Habu’s Dyed Bamboo is beyond delightful. It’s cool and quick, but what’s even better is its magical property of perfecting stitches. My knitting was far from steady during these past few weeks of exciting soccer action, and yet, my stitches have never looked so smooth and even.

Perhaps it is the Dyed Bamboo’s rich, saturated color and subtle sheen that highlights stitch patterns so well. Shoot, maybe it was the magic surrounding the World Cup. I know not! What I do know is that I’ll be knitting this Bamboo Shell again. Baseball anyone? -Laura