Dunes Shawl

Designed by Judy Pagels

Late last spring at Schacht we received a multitude of yarns from several yarn companies intended for a unique piece for the summer TNNA fashion show—a woven vest with warp made up of rope all created on the Schacht Incredible Rope Machine. One day the package from Fairmount Fibers came with a marvelous array of yarns. Ben opened it and we both admired the selection.

I was immediately smitten with two Manos del Uruguay single ply yarns, a super bulky and a worsted. Not only were the yarns soft and lofty to the touch, the colorways mimicked these qualities in creamy white and ivory, light to medium heather gray, and the most subtle pale blue. Aaah, this was one of those emotional fiber moments. Recognizing this, dear Ben handed the skeins to me.

As luck would have it, we needed a Flip loom project for the show, so I planned and created this shawl. Although soft and a single ply, the yarn was plenty strong and ideal for use as a warp yarn on the Flip Loom. This soft and oh-so-cozy shawl— perfect for a winter day—continues to make me sigh.

Project Specs

Finished size:74” x 14-1/2"

Weave structure: plain weave

Number of warp ends:Franca 47, Maxima 48

Warp length:Total length 130” (project length 92” with 68” for shawl and 24” for fringe at either end, plus 15% take-up shrinkage, plus 24” loom waste)

Width in reed:19"

EPI: 5

PPI: approximately 5

A helpful tip for extending the warp: For the show, I actually needed enough warp for a completed project and a woven sample on the Flip loom. To extend my warp, I used a clever trick that Jane sometimes uses. I used our floor loom tie-up cords on the back beam and bundled warp threads, securing with a lark’s head knot, to extend my warp by about 6”.