My Favourite Hoodie

I have wanted a shirt like this my entire life. It’s a South American hoodie, or a Baja, and sometimes called a Drug Rug. I knew when I stared weaving that I would eventually weave one of these. With my resolution to make my own clothes, this year seemed like the right year to give it a try.

Usually these shirts are made of cotton. In South America that might make sense, but in Canada, in January, wool is a much better option: Briggs and Little wool.

I really like Briggs and Little. First, the sheep are raised in the Maritimes. Second, the wool is milled in New Brunswick, neighbour to my home in Nova Scotia. It’s a rustic yarn; some people find it a little scratchy. (If that’s you, try rinsing it in your favourite hair conditioner…it really helps.) Finally, I love Briggs and Little because it comes in so many incredible colours! It wasn’t hard to choose my colours.

Winding the warp is rather satisfying. All the threads look so straight and organized and it gives an idea of what the finished fabric will look like. Winding onto the loom went beautifully (only 1 mistake) and threading was straight forward. At 10 ends per inch, it was pretty quick too.

Initially I had planned the fabric as a plain weave but before threading I decided that a twill would be nicer. I was also a little concerned that plain weave might not have as much stability as twill for cutting and sewing.

It may seem like a small change, but changing from plain weave to twill makes for some significant changes. The biggest being how much weft is needed. Plain weave would mean 10 picks per inch, twill meant between 14 and 16…that’s half again as much weft required than I had initially calculated. I had to put the project on pause while I waited for more yarn to arrive. Also, and much less problematic, was the arrangement of the zigzag of the twill. Had I decided on this twill before winding the warp, I could have lined  up the grey and black stripes a little better in the zigzag.

I’m getting much braver about cutting my weaving! I’ve also stopped zigzagging the cut edges. It caused the fabric to stretch a little and made the edges wavy. I’m still concerned about the cut edges unravelling after sewing though. I’m also trying to finish seams without too much bulk. Everything I’ve sewn, I’ve tried something different for the seams. I think this shirt is the best yet. It fits with my philosophy of “as pretty on the inside as the outside” and has virtually no bulk. I’m not so great at straight seams yet so this might actually be prettier on the inside than the outside! Each seam is sewn with a straight seam, and finished with an over-locked zigzag. Finally, I bought some ½” black sewing tape and sewed that over the seam.

I made a few changes to the pattern (are you surprised?). The hood was supposed to be lined and the front piece and pocket should be in a contrasting fabric. Not being a sewer I ran into a few problems. The front piece was a challenge to sew on, partly because it was supposed to be 2 pieces and I had only 1. So I made it up! Looks ok, but I will learn for the next time. I love my hoodie though, it’s my new favourite item of clothing. I see many more of these in my future! I also see variations…zippered jacket, a little more tailored, contrasting cuffs, lined with something soft and warm…

If you are wanting to make this hoodie, you can find the sewing pattern from www.interweave.com . The pattern is called “Baja Hoodie”