It is a quirk of nature that, whenever I sit down to write a blog on a changing season, the old season immediately reappears. The wind is blustery, the air is cool, bordering on cold. I even had a whiff of snow-smell earlier in the day.
But, summer is coming, and with it time spent under the sun. With that in mind, this month's featured yarn is Bamboo Soft from Scheepjes. Bamboo Soft is a luxurious 50/50 bamboo/cotton blend in fingering weight that will guarantee superior drape in any wearable. Bamboo is loaded with benefits. It is moisture wicking, breathable, and sustainably grown and produced. Scheepjes employs a biological wastewater treatment approach in the production of this yarn, ensuring the water is safely recycled and repurposed.
Bamboo fiber is also UV resistant, helping to prevent sun damage to your skin. Our project this month made with Bamboo Soft is the Valentine Shrug, which you can find here. This pattern can be converted in several ways to make it simpler for beginners, more practical for different purposes (gardening sleeves, for example!), and also to create a more protective barrier between your skin and the sun even on cooler summer days.
Our featured book this month is one of my recent favorites; The Garden of Small Beginnings, by Abbi Waxman. Reviews of this book often use the words quirky, fun, poignant, witty, emotional, hilarious- all of which I found highly accurate. Library Journal said, “Kudos to debut author Waxman for creating an endearing and realistic cast of main and supporting characters (including the children). Her narrative and dialog are drenched with spring showers of witty and irreverent humor, which provides much respite from the underlying grief theme.”
We wish you a lovely and productive growing season.