Snail Spirals

I finished up the sapphire shawl yesterday. I had a tremendous weaving session in the morning while Emma was at school, and then after lunch while she played in the backyard. I really got into a good rhythm, and ended up weaving about a yard and a half of fabric in one day! Then I spent a few hours after dinner knotting and twisting the fringe.



The specs:

8.0 oz
22" x 72", plus 6" fringe
Warp: 3 yards, Jaggerspun Zephyr, 50% merino/50% tussah silk, 5.4 oz (plus .5 oz loom waste)
Weft: handspun singles, 50% merino/50% tussah silk, handdyed by me before spinning, 2.6 oz.
Sett: 25 epi, ~25 ppi
pattern is an 8-harness/8-treadle fancy twill, of my own design



I've decided that I like wider shawls. This one covers from my neck to just below my elbows, and it feels very snuggly like that. More shawl-y and less stole-y; more like a garment than an accessory.

This is the side I was looking at as I wove:



And this is the reverse:



They're both pretty, and I like that the shawl is reversible without looking the same on both sides.



I just love the way silk and wool interact. The wool, after wet finishing, sort of locks the structure into place, and the silk gives incredible sparkle when light hits it. These two yarns, Zephyr and my handspun singles, make such a light drapey fabric; it's just beautiful.



I still have some leftover singles of both the Sapphire and the Amythyst, but not enough of either for a full shawl. I'm thinking maybe a white shawl, with blue and purple stripes on each end.



All photos by Emma, who perhaps has a career as a fashion photographer ahead of her. She kept telling me things like "Look over at the trees, Mama," and "Now twirl around so the shawl floats."