My Ranunculus in Borocera Silk

I just love my Ranunculus made with Borocera Silk from Handspun Hope.

Wild Borocera Silk is hand spun in the central highlands of Madagascar. This gorgeous "thick and thin" yarn is then imported into Rwanda as a single-ply where the women of Handspun Hope ply and hand-dye it with native Rwandan plants.

We love the social mission of Handspun Hope, but this yarn also has a great environmental story. Rather than resorting to logging or other ecologically damaging activities, Malagasy women are taught sustainable techniques to cultivate and harvest silk cocoons, which they legally collect from Isalo National Park. This newfound economic opportunity has led to a shift in mindset, where local Malagasy people become guardians of the Tapia rainforests, protecting the very source of their livelihoods.

Almost 20,000 people on Ravelry have made the Ranunculus. Many have made more than one. Now, I too, can say that I am on the Ranunculus bandwagon. It is fun to make and fun to wear.

 

The Ranunculus is perfect for our new Borocera Silk because the natural thick and thin quality of handspun yarn shows beautifully with the stitch pattern. The silk also has a lovely drape, which is perfect for a slipover.

I made a couple of modifications:

1. After the sleeve divide, I finished the skein of yarn I was working with. Instead of continuing on the body, I went back to finish the sleeves. This way when I went back to finish the body, I could utilize every precious yard to make the top as long as I had yarn to work with. I used a total of 4 skeins.
2. To finish the sleeves I followed the directions for long sleeves, but instead of adding length, I changed to a size 8 needle and added 8 rows of ribbing. This draws the sleeves in. I wanted them short but not "fluttery". I'm really pleased with how they came out.