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Well summer is not necessarily the the weather for woolly jumpers! What it is the weather for are soft breathable plant fibres and with perfect timing BettaKnit arrived in store.

With an ethos in sustainable fashion BettaKnit produce fibres from recycled material and by-products from the fashion and food processing industries. They design their yarns with an eco-friendly mentality. This is done in a variety of ways; Through a recycling process which pollutes very little and consumes little energy. Spinning with the lowest amount of toxic or polluting chemical substances and focusing on fibres that are easy to recycle.

We have introduced four new yarns. Prato Cotton a chunky weight 100% recycled cotton. Pima Cotton a DK weight 100% Cotton. Soy Cotton a sport weight cotton and soybean fibre blend, and Love My Jeans a sport weight recycled denim cotton. In this first of two blog posts I shall talk you through the Prato Cotton and Pima Cotton.

First up we have Prato Cotton. This is the heavyweight cotton you have been looking for! A 100% recycled cotton which means this cotton is sourced from the waste materials of textile production. Prato Cotton is named after Prato, a city in Italy. Prato has built an economy out of recycling and reusing leftover products from the textile industry and has been doing this for decades. They have an immense skill in producing high quality fibres from things others would consider no longer useful.

Prato Cotton 100g of sturdy chunky weight cotton. It’s the ideal yarn for homewares as well as summer garments. I’m thinking crocheted bath mats or knitted cushion covers as well as summer accessories. It also comes in a range of fun bright colours to complete that summer vibe.

Elato top by Anna Galiney. This airy top is full of textural stitches. Elongated stitch make this light an airy and ideal for summer.

Herringbone Round Basket by Rebecca Langford. This yarn is perfect for crochet baskets, or anything structural. These pretty baskets crocheted in a herringbone half double stitch are a great edition to anywhere in your home.

The Delmar Tote by Meghan Ballmer. This contemporary crochet bag would be quick to make and perfect for an advanced beginner or intermediate crocheter. It’s a great shape for taking to the beach, the shops or to your favourite yarn shop. If you are looking for some contemporary leather handles to go with your finished bag try these Leather Handles from Cocoknits.

Next up is the Pima Cotton. Pima cotton is one of the finest cottons in the world. It also has one of the longest fibre lengths. Making it softer more durable and giving it a wonderful lustre. The pima cotton is collected by hand which maintains the quality of the fibre leading to a whiter yarn that takes the dye with such and intensity. These 100g balls are perfect for many projects, great worn against the skin but also suitable for homewears.

Super Simple Summer Sweater by Joji Locatelli. Summer jumpers are always useful and cotton is a great choice. Cooler and easy to care for. This simple top down jumper has a wide neck and allows a bit of fun with colour striping. Split hem details top off the look.

Ripple Crop Top Worsted by Jessie Maed Designs. I love Jessie Maed’s designs. They are simple but thoughtfully constructed. The classic shape of this crop top is knit all in rib to enhance it’s fitted shape. It would look great knit in a summery cotton.

Sakura Market Bag by K.A.M.E. Crochet by Krisztina Anna Matejcsok-Edomer. A crochet bag is perfect for grocery shopping or trips to the beach. This pretty design will look great crocheted in a low fuss cotton.

Keep watching the blog for my introduction of the next two BettaKnit yarns.