Review: Shangri La from Bijou Basin Ranch

July 29, 2015 by ·

Review: Shangri La Lace Weight Yak/Silk Yarn from Bijou Basin Ranch

We used Shangri La lace weight yak/silk yarn by Bijou Basin Ranch in our Twins Face Off crochet design competition to make Lacy Scarves. Here are our thoughts about the yarn:

Shangri-La Yarn from Bijou Basin Ranch

We love it! Honestly, we were a little nervous about crocheting with this yarn. Not because of the material (which is fabulous), but because we have never worked with lace weight before (unless you consider crochet thread to be lace weight).

Yarn Features:

According to the Bijou Basin Ranch website: “A blend of two of the world’s softest and strongest fibers, our Shangri-La is the knitter’s [or crocheter’s] version of the earthly paradise for which it is named!” [our adeptation to  their quote].

Lace Weight: 400 yards / 2 ozs.
50% Tibetan Yak  / 50% Mulberry Silk: Hand Wash, Dry Flat

Shangri-La Pros:

  • Ubber Soft (softest, most luxurious yarn we’ve ever used)
  • Silky so it glides across your hook easily
  • Smooth, so it feels gentle on your fingers
  • Blocks great so it’s perfect for showcasing stitches
  • Not itchy, so it’s comfortable to wear
  • If crocheting a solid fabric, this would be nice and warm
  • If crocheting a lacy fabric, this is light and airy
  • Comes in fun jewel tone colors

Shangri-La Cons:
We love this yarn so much, we don’t want to write any cons!

  • The two strands can separate a bit and get caught on the hook
  • Frogging should be done slowly or the fibers will knot up a bit
  • There is a faint odor to the yarn, but it’s very mild

Bijou Basin Ranch had the right idea when they named this yarn. It really is a dream and a half to work with. Shangri La is so nice that you may find yourself saddened when your project comes to an end. No worries, just get yourself another skein and start on another great project!

Patterns Using Shangri La

Check out these beautiful patterns that use Shangri La yarn.

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Twins Face Off – Shangri La Sneak Peek

July 14, 2015 by ·

Sneak Peek at Twins Face Off with Shangri La from Bijou Basin Ranch

Last week we announced that Bijou Basin Ranch is sponsoring this month’s Twins Face Off and that Ewe and Me will be diplaying the finished projects in their shop (located on Garden of the Gods Rd in Colorado Springs).

Here’s a sneak peek at what we’re working on with Shangri La lace weight yak/silk yarn.

Shangri La Scarf Sneak Peek

Summer Scarf is the category for this month’s challenge. Shangri La is perfect because it’s thin, soft, has great drape and displays stitches really well. Did we mention how soft this is? It may be Dana’s new favorite yarn!

Next week we’ll share photos of the finished projects and ask you to vote for the design you like better. We’ll also be giving away prizes.

  • 1 place: 1 skein of Shangri La yarn and both crochet patterns;
  • 2nd place: both crochet patterns.

allureFor cleaning and blocking knit and crochet projects, Bijou Basin Ranch makes a fabulous fiber wash called Allure. We’ll be using it on these scarves. We love the Woodland Mist scent. It’s soft, subtle and not perfumey. It’s so nice, we’d love to wash all our clothes in it!

Allure comes in three varieties: Fragerance Free, Woodland Mist and Prairie Breeze. It’s biodegradable, color safe, tough on stains, and septic/gray water safe. There are no dyes, enzymes, or phosphates, no optical brighteners, no formaldehyde and no gluten. LOVE it!

See you here next week when we open the challenge and giveaway.

Lacy Scarves Pattern available on Etsy.

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Twins Face Off: Shangri La by Bijou Basin Ranch

July 7, 2015 by ·

Twins Face Off Crochet Design Challenge and Giveaway with Shangri La by Bijou Basin Ranch

Bijou Basin Ranch is sponsoring this month’s challenge with their ubber soft and oh so fabulous Shangri La Lace yarn. We’re partnering once again with Ewe and Me to display our finished projects (when we get them done in a couple of weeks).

Shangri La yarn in Pearl

Next week we will announce what cateogry of item we will crochet using Shangri La lace weight yarn (400 yrds / 2 oz. hank). We’ll also share sneak peeks at what we’re working on. The week following that we will ask you to vote on the two designs and open up the giveaway!

  • 1st place to wins 1 skein of Shangri La and the 2 patterns;
  • 2nd place to win the two patterns.

A big thank you to Bijou Basin Ranch for sponsoring this Twins Face Off! We are trilled to be using this fabulous yarn in our challenge. Neither of us have used lace weight yarn, so it should be really fun.

Bijou Basin Ranch Yak

 

When I mentioned this challange to some friends, they asked what a Yak was. So I snagged the photo above from Bijou Basin Ranch’s website. Shangri La, the yarn we are using in the challenge is 50% Yak Down and 50% Mulberry Silk. It’s heavenly!

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