Be Sweet; A Review and Tasting

A short while ago I was contacted by the folks at Be Sweet yarns. I'm always keen to try new yarns, so jumped on the opportunity to review a couple of their line and let ya'll know what I think.

First, here's some more about  Be Sweet:

"Be Sweet was founded on the principle of being kind to others. Nadine Curtis created Be Sweet in 2003 while living in Cape Town, South Africa.
Be Sweet’s mission; to bring socially and environmentally friendly products to fashionable consumers that evoke an individual style and help support community development around the world." (read more here).

See their yarns here.
On to the review!

I was sent three different yarns to test: Whipped Cream, Satisfaction, and Bamboo Taffy.

Swatch Whipped Cream

45% kid mohair, 45% wool, 10% silk
made in south africa
colour moss
50 g, 82 y / 75 m
4 sts/1" on 6 mm (US 10)
1 ply

My thoughts:
This is a good quality yarn. The fibres shine wonderfully, the stitches come out well defined, and the colour (and their colour range in general) is very pleasant. 
If I had to list a negative, it would be the pure fact that mohair sheds. This is nothing wrong with the yarn, just a reality of working with mohair (though I might add that the Whipped Cream yarn, with its higher mohair content than Satisfaction, did indeed shed significantly more).

Also: I gave my remainder of the moss Whipped Cream to a knitter friend. Her review was equally positive, possibly even more so, as she has nothing at all against mohair.

Pattern I think would look great in this yarn: Rikke Hat. Keep you warm, but avoid any delicate skin that would be easily irritated by mohair.


Swatch Satisfaction

60% wool, 20% kid mohair, 20% superfine alpaca
made in south africa
colour bubblegum
50 g, 115 y / 105 m
5 sts/1" on 3.75 mm (US 5)
plied

My thoughts:
This is a good solid yarn. Nice hand, again, even stitches. The fibre quality is good, and the colours available are great.
I liked this yarn so much that I kept the remainder. Didn't share. Nope.

Pattern I think would look great in this yarn: Bumble. How cute would that be in Winter White, Marigold, and Espresso?


Swatch Bambino Taffy

70% organically grown cotton, 30% bamboo
made in south africa
colour french revolution
50 g, 100 y / 91 m
4.5 sts/1" on 4 mm (US 6)

My thoughts:
This one was my favourite. A wonderfully smooth and soft bamboo yarn, with pleasingly saturated colours. I enjoy the combinations they've put together. Here you see my little Bambino Taffy pouch. A joy to knit with. Great hand and fibre quality. The only negative? I don't know why, but I just assumed the colours would jump from one to the other. I was a bit surprised to find each colour knotted to the next (so, that is, five knots in the skein). That said, it doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the finished knit.
I think Elbie likes it too!

And now, you can enter to win a wee tasting of Be Sweet for yourself!

Some of the Be Sweet Yarn.

You get:
Satisfaction
60% wool, 20% kid mohair, 20% superfine alpaca
made in south africa
colour: peacock
50 g, 115 y / 105 m
5 sts/1" on 3.75 mm (US 5)
plied

Whipped Cream
45% kid mohair, 45% wool, 10% silk
made in south africa
colour: grape
50 g, 82 y / 75 m
4 sts/1" on 6 mm (US 10)
1 ply

Bambino Taffy
70% organically grown cotton, 30% bamboo
made in south africa
colour: licorice
50 g, 100 y / 91 m
4.5 sts/1" on 4 mm (US 6) 

Be Sweet package of goodies you can win!

plied

Magic Ball
Mixed fibers including baby mohair, merino wool, ribbon, and more
50g, 90 – 95 yards /87 m
3.5 sts/1" on 5.5 mm (US 9)

Pattern Booklet

Just comment on this post, letting me know what you think you'd knit with one hank of any of the yarns you'll win in the package!

Commenting will be open until May 31.
Winner will be announced June 4.