Out West Shawl
Designed and woven by Sara Goldenberg
We love it when something looks complicated but turns out to be quite easy. Such is the case with the Time for Fall Ruffled Shawl, designed by Sara Goldenberg for Simple Woven Garments (Goldenberg and Patrick). This piece requires two warps, one for the body woven in mock waffle weave and a second, narrow warp woven in plainweave. It’s a breeze to weave and a delight to wear, especially as cool weather approaches.
We wove this variation in luscious Silk City yarns on a Flip rigid heddle loom. You can also weave on a Wolf Pup LT or Baby Wolf; for floor looms, add an extra 24" to the length of both warps. See draft below.
Finished shawl dimensions: 16" wide x 60" long
Shawl Fabric
Weave structure: mock waffle weave
Warp length: 95" which includes take-up and 24" loom waste—for floor looms, add an additional 24"
Warp width: 14.9"
Number of warp ends: 149 working warp ends (see note about warp yarns)
EPI: 10
PPI: 9-10
Ruffle Fabric
Weave structure: plain weave
Warp length: 9 yards, which includes take-up and 24" loom waste—for floor looms, add an additional 24"
Warp width: 3"
Total ends: 30
EPI: 10
PPI: 10
What You'll Need
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Warp yarn: Cotton Bambu in Sand (200 yards); Bambu 7 in Blue Steel (110 yards); New Mini Dina in Safari (110 yards); Bambu 7 Variegated in Magnolia (200 yards)
Note: Blue Steel and Safari are used together to form one working end. Magnolia is used doubled to create one working end.
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Weft yarn: Cotton Bambu in Sand (260 yards) Bambu 7 Variegated in Magnolia (130 yards)
Note: Use Magnolia doubled in the weft.
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Materials for Ruffle
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Warp yarn: New Mina Dina in Safari (280 yards)
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Weft yarn: Bambu 7 Variegated Magnolia (575 yards)—Magnolia is used doubled.
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rigid heddle or shaft loom with at least 15” weaving width
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10 dent reed
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2 shuttles
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warping board
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sewing machine
Materials for Shawl Fabric
Equipment
Directions
Weaving the Shawl Fabric
Warp the loom following the warp color order shown here.
Throughout the shawl fabric, weave with Sand, except use Magnolia, doubled, for the weft floats in steps 2 and 4 of the pick-up pattern.
Weave 1-1/2" of plainweave for the rolled hem.
Weave for 61" in mock waffle weave.
Weave 1-1/2" of plainweave for rolled hem edge.
- Weave using Magnolia doubled until warp is finished. Use a nice even beat and try for even selvedges.
Weaving the Ruffle Fabric
Warp the loom for the ruffle and weave plain weave until you run out of warp.
Note: do not overpack. Beating too hard will make the ruffle too dense, making it impossible to pull the warp yarns to make the fabric ruffle. Err on the side of on looser rather than tighter packing.
Finishing and Assembly
Hand wash both fabrics in warm to hot soapy water, hang or lay flat to dry. (I did not put this in the dryer at all. You do not want to heavily full the fabric.)
Starting with the body of the shawl, use the 1-1/2" of plainweave on either end to create a double rolled hem. Press, pin, and stitch into place by hand or on the sewing machine.
Ruffle the trim by pulling the second thread in from one selvedge edge. Pull from both ends of the fabric and smooth out to get an even ruffle all the way around.
Pin the ruffle in place around all 4 edges, overlapping the edge of the body fabric about 1/2". Adjust as needed so that the ruffle is even around all the edges. When you are certain you have the right amount of pull in your warp to make the ruffle lie evenly all the way around, fold over one edge of the ruffle with 1/2" single-fold hem. Steam-press and stitch.
Using a sewing machine, stitch the ruffle to the body of the shawl all the way around, stopping 4" from the end to double check the point at which you need to hem the other end. You may need to cut off excess or let a little bit of length out of the ruffle to make it fit. Fold the end in the opposite direction so that the folded edges of the ruffle overlap. Once you know the length is correct, sew a single-fold hem on the other end. Secure the last 4" of the ruffle to the base of the shawl. Stitch overlapped ends of the ruffle together.
Notes
Thank you to Silk City Fibers for collaborating with us on this project. We loved working with these yarns and are so delighted with the resulting shawl, luxurious in its look and feel. You might know Silk City Fibers for their collection of weaving yarns, such as their 100% rayon chenille, Nature’s Way 2/30 merino, 5/2 Perle cotton, Bambu and Cotton Bambu yarns. Find their yarns at your favorite LYS or order direct from the Silk City Fiber website at www.silkcityfibers.com.
In January 2019, Silk City Fibers became a part of Orchard Yarn & Thread Company, Inc., known by consumers as Lion Brand Yarn Company. Lion Brand Yarn, a fifth-generation family-owned and -operated business, has been developing yarns for hand-knitting and crochet for over 140 years. Silk City Fibers has been producing and distributing high quality and luxury coned yarns for over 40 years.
