Stepping Out Scarf

Weaving on a rigid-heddle loom isn’t as fast as weaving on a floor loom—and that isn’t a bad thing. The deliberate pace of rigid-heddle weaving invites you to consider hand-manipulation techniques as part of your weaving. In the planning stages of this scarf, Susan and Melissa talked about ways to combine two colors in the same weft pick. They knew it would be time-intensive, but it would create a unique look. At first, they considered clasped weft, but decided that the slinky, supple effect they were trying to create for the scarf would be at odds with the doubled weight of the weft picks as well as the slight-but-firm ridge that the clasp can create.

Instead, they tried a tapestry technique in which the two colors meet and then return to the selvedges without clasping. They wanted to create a series of rectangles that stacked the meeting point for the yarns one above the other, making slits. By keeping the “steps” at 1 inch tall, the slits didn’t affect the integrity of the fabric. You can stitch the slits closed, or keep them open for an extra boost of three-dimensionality they give to the scarf.

For the background warp and weft, they chose Metallic Rayon, a handpainted yarn in a subtle colorway that has just enough metallic shine in it to give the whole scarf a little bling. For the tapestry steps, they used Summer Silk in three solid colors that contrast nicely with the more subdued background.

STRUCTURE
Plain weave with slit tapestry technique.

EQUIPMENT
Rigid-heddle loom, 10" weaving width; 12- or 12.5-dent heddle; 4 stick shuttles.

YARNS:
Warp: Rayon Metallic (85% rayon/15% metallic; 550/8 oz; 1,100 yd/lb; Blue Heron; Yarn Barn of Kansas), Water Hyacinth, 278 yd. Summer Silk (45% silk/43% cotton/12% nylon; 240 yd/1.75 oz; 2,195 yd/lb; Berroco; Yarn Barn of Kansas), #4020 Madras, #4040 Picnic, and #4056 Pier, 17 yd each. Weft: Rayon Metallic, Water Hyacinth, 230 yd. Summer Silk, #4020 Madras, #4040 Picnic, and #4056 Pier, 12 yd each.

WARP LENGTH
118 ends 100" long (allows 24" for loom waste and take-up; loom waste includes fringe).

SETTS
Warp: 12 or 12.5 epi (1 per slot and hole in a 12-or 12.5-dent heddle). Weft: about 10 ppi.

DIMENSIONS
Width in heddle: 9.5" in a 12.5-dent heddle; 9 10/12" in a 12-dent heddle. Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 76". Finished size: 8½" x 72" with 4½" fringe. Note: Dimensions are based on weaving with a 12.5-dent heddle.

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