A handwoven Monk’s Belt cotton snood fused with a repurposed merino panel - plum, pink and ecru, infinity twist, made by Emma Baker in Salisbury
 
This snood brings two handcrafted elements together. The body is woven by Emma Baker on a floor loom in Salisbury, Wiltshire using a Monk’s Belt structure in sustainable cotton yarn - ecru, pink and plum shades creating a pattern of colour blocks against the lighter ground. The join is made from repurposed baby pink merino lambswool knitted fabric: existing merino given a new purpose, providing the natural stretch that allows the snood to slip over the head while fitting snugly at the neck.
 
The Monk’s Belt structure
Monk’s Belt is one of the oldest supplementary weft weave structures in the Western handweaving tradition. Supplementary weft threads float over multiple warp threads in a geometric block pattern against the plain weave ground. On this snood, the Monk’s Belt blocks create areas of concentrated plum and pink colour against the ecru cotton ground - a structured, graphic surface with a warm palette.
 
Repurposed merino - two materials, one sustainable approach
The merino lambswool panel at the join is repurposed - existing baby pink merino knitted fabric given a new purpose as part of the snood’s construction. Like the lining of Emma’s handwoven pencil cases (which use repurposed cotton shirt fabric), this is a considered use of existing material rather than new. The soft merino also makes the join the most comfortable point of contact with the skin.
 
Infinity twist construction
The snood is sewn with an infinity twist - a half-twist in the fabric before the ends are joined, creating a loop with a natural, flowing drape that a plain loop snood does not have.
 
What makes this snood special
Handwoven by Emma Baker in Salisbury, Wiltshire on a floor loom
Monk’s Belt structure - supplementary weft block pattern in plum, pink and ecru cotton
Sustainable cotton yarn - ecru, pink and plum
Repurposed baby pink merino lambswool panel at the join - stretch, warmth and a second life for existing material
Infinity twist construction - natural flowing drape
Part of Emma’s small Monk’s Belt cotton accessories collection
19cm wide × 72cm circumference
Presented in a gift box
 
A unique gift
The Monk’s Belt structure, the repurposed merino join, and the infinity twist make this snood the most technically layered piece in Emma’s cotton snood collection. A birthday, Mother’s Day, or any occasion where a bold, warm and genuinely one-of-a-kind accessory is wanted.