The new yarns have begun rolling in, and I want to introduce you to one from Berroco. Pure Pima is a 100% cotton two-plie twist of mercerized and unmercerized cotton. Why is that important? To find out, I did a little Googling…….
Cotton has long been a staple in the fiber community. Numerous attempts to change it were made, and in 1851 John Mercer was granted a British Patent for his work with cotton, linen, and other vegetable-based threads. He found that “… caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) caused the fiber to swell, become round, and straighten out”. Although patent-worthy, at the time nobody really cared. Thirty-nine years later Horace Lowe was granted another British patent for showing that when you perform Mercer’s process with the fiber under tension, a higher luster is achieved. This revolutionized the cotton industry. (1)
Many years of research has shown that not only is mercerized cotton more lusterous, but it also has increased strength and improved absorptive properties, a fact that would affect the way the yarn takes dye. Clara Parkes, author of “The Knitters Book of Yarn“, also tells us that mercerized cotton has less air trapped in it, resulting in a cooler fabric.
By combining mercerized with unmercerized cotton, Berroco has produced a yarn that is strong, absorptive, and lusterous without being overly shiny or hot. We are sure once you try it, it will become a staple to which you will return again and again.
PURE PIMA: 100% Pima Cotton, 1.75 oz / 50 g, 115 yds / 105 m, 22 sts & 26 rows = 4″,
6 (US) / 4 mm
(1) Tom Beaudet, “What is Mercerized Cotton”, www.fiberarts.org