** Warning: Picture heavy post

Following a thread on Ravelry about silk yarn in Bangalore got me all curious seeing that this silk was available in my hometown!  My first stop on our summer vacation in India was Bangalore and so the lure of silk yarn seemed too hard to resist.  Armed with some hastily scribbled directions, we took a crazy autorickshaw ride in search of this luxurious yarn and boy was I amazed.  I was looking for a yarn store type establishment but the address got us to a house in the crazy streets of Bengaluru (if anyone’s been to India, you know all about the whacky system of street naming that leaves you going around in dizzy circles).  But once I was at the address, I was not disappointed because in front of me were piles…yes, PILES of skeins of silk yarn in every possible color.

Silk in Bangalore 8

Much petting and fondling and ooohing and aaahing followed much to the embarrassment (I’m sure) of the owners. Vineet was with me (with camera at the ready) and didn’t seem too concerned about what he calls my ‘yarn-yelp’!!

Some of the yarn was so fine that I’m sure that you could only do the finest embroidery with it.  Cobweb silk, I think.

Silk in Bangalore 1

There was silk yarn that is used to make amazing Persian rugs 

Silk in Bangalore 6 

There was sari silk  

Silk in Bangalore 3

and yarn with beads and crystals

Silk in Bangalore 2

and worsted weight silk

Silk in Bangalore 4

and silk that had so many technical terms attached to it that I can’t recall what they were

Silk in Bangalore 5

This is a family run business and the yarn is spun, dyed and skeined by the local people of India in the villages where silk farms abound.  Amazing stuff!!!

Silk in Bangalore 7

It was so hard not to buy a couple skeins of every type of yarn but I had to restrain myself from unleashing the pursestrings seeing that we still have to go and begin life in a new country at the end of the month!  So here’s my mini haul – undyed worsted weight and laceweight in coppery brown

Silk in Bangalore 9

and a bit more laceweight in blue, purple and green.

Silk in Bangalore 10

That’s not all, the folks who run this business go by the Ravatar silkindian right on Ravelry and ship internationally.  My ball winder has not traveled in my suitcase and so I have not wound these babies up, but I am sure that whatever gets knitted out of this yarn will be luscious!

We’re still on vacation and are off early tomorrow morning to Mysore and Kabini for a few days to enjoy the wildlife.  I hope we get to see some tuskers and a spotting a tiger would be fantastic, fingers crossed!!!

11 thoughts on “Luscious Silk

  1. Jocelyn

    I think I just wet my pants…LOL!
    Preeti! You are amazing, thank you for sharing the Rav link and sparing me a trip to Bengaluru and the risk potentially getting lost!

    And thanks for sharing the beautiful photos. I can’t wait to see what you knit with the gorgeous green, blue and purple skein.

    How much are they anyway?

    Reply

  2. desiknitter

    Cool! I must visit when I am next in Bangalore… the yarn looks gorgeous. What projects are you planning? A silk stole would be a wonderful thing for both salwar suits and saris…

    Reply

  3. knitnkanmani

    wow so many yarn shops in avenue rd I thought it was only good for 2nd hand books ..next time I am going to empty my Dh’s wallet :))thanx for suggesting ravelry its awesome

    Reply

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