Knitting WIP: Saco Stripes

I'm going on vacation tomorrow!  In Hawaii!  Yay!

Rather than doing laundry and packing, I went to Fancy Tiger Crafts and picked out some shockingly soft bamboo yarn and a cute tank top pattern to knit on the airplane.  The pattern is the Saco Stripes tank top by Pam Allen.  Doesn't it look fabulous?

Image via Pam Allen on Ravelry

This project will be a collection of firsts for me.  It'll be the first time I've worked with bamboo yarn, the first time I've used a Pam Allen pattern (even though I've been eyeing her collection for ages), and the first time I've knitted a tank top.

It's a little bit scary any time that many firsts get together.

My biggest concern is the sizing.  I'm a really small person.  Like really small.  It's great for pair skating, but not so great for fitting into women's sizes (as opposed to kids sizes, which fit great). Keeping that in mind, my plan is to begin knitting the smallest size the pattern offers, try it on, then rip it out and adjust it accordingly.  Maybe it'll fit fine and I won't have to do that, but I'm not getting my hopes up just yet.

I love how soft my yarn is, though, and the pattern doesn't look overly complicated, so I'm thinking it'll all turn out beautifully in the end.

Did I mention that the pattern doesn't call for bamboo yarn?  It calls for linen.  But the bamboo is so soft, I couldn't help myself.  Plus I think mixing up the yarn choice is half the fun of knitting anyway; if I wanted my top to be like everyone else's, I'd buy it in a store.  Know what I mean?

So anyway, I had never heard of Be Sweet bamboo yarn before, but it turns out to be pretty awesome.  It's good for the environment because bamboo is a sustainable resource, and it's good for the world because Be Sweet provides good jobs for women in South Africa as well as donating a portion of their proceeds to educational development there.

Here's a video of the yarn makers in action:



I guess I should go throw a few swimsuits and sundresses into my suitcase now.  I'll keep you guys updated on the status of my tank top!

Aloha!  (It means goodbye too.)
xoxo
Laura