As some of you may know, I design most of my peacock feather motifs using Scheepjes Catona. I really love working with mercerized cotton and the ever expanding selection of Catona colours allows me to make really inspiring colour choices. And now Scheepjes* has broadened my design options by having revamped one of their already existing laceweight yarns. I'm so happy that I can now make mini versions of my peacock designs, which are just perfect for jewelry like earrings or small delicate garlands.
Let me just explain a little bit about this "new" yarn; perhaps it'll inspire you too.
Maxi Bonbon or Sugar Rush is a 2 ply mercerized cotton and until about a week ago, only available in 100g balls (560m) and in a selection of 27 colours. Well, for teeny tiny peacock feathers, 560 meters is a bit much, don't you think? So it was never very practical (how much storage room do you have?) nor economical to invest in this. But now this beautiful shiny and sturdy yarn is available in 25g (140m) balls called Bonbon and in 50g (280m) balls called Sugar Rush. And in 87 colours! Most of these colours match the Catona range, which is perfect in case you want to use both yarns in one project.
I've selected 4 of my designs to try out Bonbon. I was curious about the following aspects:
- Size of the motifs (obviously ;-)
- Stitch definition
- Hook size best suited to my designs
- Sturdiness
- Results after blocking
1. Size. The photo on the right shows the Java Peacock Feather. The larger version in Catona measures 8.5 x 11.5 cm and the small Bonbon version is just 6 x 9 cm.
2. I love the stitch definition. You can clearly see it in the photos I think. The stitches really stand out giving it a beautiful dimension, which suits if you plan on wearing these motifs as brooches or earrings.
3. Hook size. For me a 2mm hook works best. I started out by using a 1.5mm hook as advised on the band but the result was too tight and the stitch definition was lost a bit because of this. It just depends on what you're making and on how tightly you hook, so always make a swatch.
4. Sturdiness. This thin mercerized cotton is surprisingly sturdy and the motifs keep their shape very nicely. They do not flop at all so, again, ideal for jewelry or appliques.
5. Blocking. Even tough the motifs looked great before blocking, I decided to give them the treatment I also give the motifs I make using Catona. So I blocked them and let them dry for about 12 hours. And as I already guessed, the result was even better after blocking (isn't it always?). Especially the final rounds came out sharper and more even.
I hope this has inspired you to start a project of your own. Maxi Bonbon is already available form Wool Warehouse and Deramores * (international shipping) and other Scheepjes stockists. Sugar Rush will follow shortly.
And in case you'd want to try your hand at one of my designs, have a look at my Etsy or Ravelry shop for a large selection of peacock-inspired motifs (but there are non-peacock designs too ;-)
* Thanks to Scheepjes, who supplied the yarn for me to try out. As always, any opinions expressed are my own. The affiliate links in this post support giveaways, free patterns, discounts and the running of this blog. By purchasing yarn through these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!
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