A handwoven grey houndstooth scarf - hand-spun bamboo/merino yarn and light grey Rowan wool unravelled from a jumper, made by Emma Baker in Salisbury
 
This scarf is woven by Emma Baker on a rigid heddle loom in Salisbury, Wiltshire in a classic houndstooth design. The two yarns that create the houndstooth have extraordinary stories.
 
The dark grey yarn - hand-spun bamboo and merino
The dark grey weft yarn is a hand-spun blend of bamboo and merino, spun by Emma on a spinning wheel before weaving. The bamboo adds a natural sheen and a smoother, cooler handle to the yarn; the merino adds warmth and softness. The spinning process creates a subtle variation in the yarn that commercial spinning cannot replicate - visible as the slight 'rainbow' quality in the grey as the light catches different sections of the scarf.
 
The light grey yarn - Rowan wool from an unravelled jumper
The light grey warp yarn is Rowan wool that was unravelled from a knitted jumper - a jumper that had been knitted too large to be worn. Rather than the garment being discarded, Emma unravelled it and rewove the yarn into this scarf. The jumper’s wool has now had two textile lives: first as a knitted garment, now as a handwoven houndstooth scarf. This is upcycling at the garment level, not the industrial level.
 
What makes this scarf special
Handwoven by Emma Baker in Salisbury, Wiltshire on a rigid heddle loom
Classic houndstooth design in light grey and dark grey
Dark grey yarn: hand-spun bamboo and merino - spun by Emma on a spinning wheel
Light grey yarn: Rowan wool from an unravelled jumper - a second life for an existing garment
21cm wide × 150cm long with a 19cm fringe at each end
One of a kind
 
A cosy stylish gift
The houndstooth structure, the hand-spun bamboo/merino yarn, and the Rowan wool from an unravelled jumper make this a scarf with a provenance story unlike any other in Emma’s collection. A significant birthday for someone who values craft and sustainability, or a self-gift for someone who appreciates knowing exactly where their scarf came from.