A circular scarf handwoven in wool by Nicola Gates in her studio in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Olla Nua is Irish words for ‘new wool’ – using a natural, sustainable material in a modern, imaginative way.

An elegant scarf woven with supersoft lambswool and merino, in palest soft pink with a flecked charcoal pattern yarn. The Ely design is part of the original Olla Nua collection, using a supplementary warp technique to create the fir tree pattern. Inspired by time spent living in the midst of Ely Lodge Forest, at the edge of the beautiful Lower Lough Erne, County Fermanagh.

The cloth incorporates genuine Donegal yarn produced in Kilcar, with its distinctive homespun texture. The design has been drafted on paper, then woven on my traditional floor loom, powered entirely by hand and foot. The cloth is then carefully scoured to the desired finish before being cut & stitched.

About the maker:

Nicola weaves contemporary cloth, on a traditional floor loom, powered entirely by hand and foot. Using yarns spun by mills in Ireland and the UK. Inspired by the tradition of weaving in the rural west, many pieces incorporate authentic Donegal yarn, produced in Kilcar, with its distinctive fleck and homespun texture.

Olla Nua is known for attention to detail at every stage… after the meticulous setting up of the loom and weaving, the cloth is washed and often lightly felted to produce the desired softness and texture. Cutting and stitching follow, sometimes combining the handwoven cloth with Irish linen.