I was wanting to weave the Gimme Shelter Scarf for a donation item. The cost of materials has stopped progress. Are there less expensive fibers that would be an alternative?

The scarf needs 107 inch length to assemble a hood and pockets. I know that a smaller scarf would be less expense, but this scarf would be like having a Swiss Army Knife to a person living without a place to call home. One item with many uses.

Our winters are not severe. Average 50 degree Farenheit. Two or three weeks of freezing. Biggest weather problem is damp chill and wind.

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These were my first selections:

Warp - wool - Harrisville Highland yarn - slightly water repellant; warm; withstands rugged use

Weft -  wool, silk, cashmere blend - Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed - for softness

 

 

Comments

sandra.eberhar…

A homeless person is not going to appreciate silk or cashmere, and they are both more care than wool. If you use a a weft yarn that is not resistant to wear and moisture, using one that is for the warp is pretty much wasted. You can use Scotchguard water repelent to make any fabric more moisture resistant.  I would suggest looking on Ebay for a nice wool mill end.  It will cut your material costs, and a needy person will appreciate it much more than silk.  There are usually a lot of good American, Chinese and Italian mill ends on Ebay; look for a seller who sells only yarns.  Italian wool yarns are magnificent.   Our winters usually get to -15.

10ashus

works In the world. Thank you. 

I ordered a 100 lb cone - 100% wool 4/10 for $13. It was in over stock from a company that used it to make knit caps. It should weave into a cozy fabric.

 Correction: Make that a 1 lb. cone

Gone

OMG Tenashus!  100 lb cone????? I've never seen that before! You sure it's not 10 lb? Even that's a big cone

I did 47 scarves last year for the shelter. I wanted to make them out of nice fibers in the beginning until someone pointed out that easy care is the important thing for those less fortunate. Quick wash and dry is the goal. So I did them all in acrylic and they turned out great. Not pretty as they were mostly army green, but all different drafts so they were all different. As Big-dog says, they don't swoon over high end fibers so much as they just need warmth and durability.  

10ashus

That would be a 1 lb cone. Laughing. I want to write a novel. I best hire a good editor.

I have been on the receiving end of donated items. You require different things from possessions at different stages of chas and recovery.  A warm scarf for survival; a comforting scarf, a color or texture that soothes; a bit of luxury in pattern or fiber to boost self worth.

 

Gone

Whew!!! Tenashus, thank you for clarifying!  You really had me worried there. I was picturing an 18 wheeler being unloaded by a fork lift at your front door!   LOL

endorph

done scarves for folks here in Texas out of cotton blends including cotton/rayon, cotton/wool, cotton/acrylic and they have done very well. They provide woarmth but are not super heavy and are easy to care for.

10ashus

...are the best.

Endorph, your list will be saved and used. I wove with wool on my pouch project. The yarn made the weaving such a pleasure, but it most likely is too warm for apparel in our area. 

TomZ, 47 scarves is quite a record for donations. Hats off to you. Acrylic yarn is frequently on sale and readily available. I will try it. I always wondered why it was recommended to knitters and not weavers.

Gone

Tenashus, acrylic worked out just fine. It was a lace weight (maybe thinner) Caron yarn I picked up on Shopgoodwill. (5 cones) Too thin to weave with by itself so I doubled it on a doubling stand. It wove beautfully, very easy to work with, washed perfect and was easy to fringe-twist. And they were warm! I made a collection of drafts off of Handweaving.net, with every 4S pattern I thought was interesting. I was shooting for 50 scarves but hey....It was my first year weaving and it was an excellent learning experience for warping, threading, throwing a shuttle and finishing.