One of the many factors when choosing the yarn for a project is how much it will stretch. It's a shame to make a garment that can only be worn once due to gravity. It's also quite unnerving when a handbag becomes the size of a tote!
These examples are not exaggerations, but real life lessons learned. I was in a yarn store yesterday asking about bamboo. I was told a story of a person who knitted a skirt from it and within 3 hours it had stretched out over an inch. By the end of the day it was way too big and dragging on the floor! I must admit that I was amazed. I had made a project out of a cotton/bamboo blend and couldn't block it at all! I know that cotton stretches, so I had thought the bamboo was responsible for the rigidity.
The lady at the yarn store recommended Merino because even though it does stretch some, the fibers tend to bounce back when washed. I don't want wool to make a summer hat. Therefore, I've decided it's time to do a little experimentation.
I purchased Aunt Lydia's bamboo and size 3 crochet cotton. I plan to make a swatch of each individually, as well as a swatch of the two combined. I want to see how much "growth" will occur. It's a good thing to know before investing hours on a project. It's also another example of why making a swatch is so important!
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