Valley Yarns #126 Silk Diamonds Scarf

Valley Yarns Silk Diamonds Scarf

What Is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Silk Diamonds Scarf is a woven scarf designed by Barbara Elkins using an advancing point twill weave structure. This project produces two scarves from a single warp, with finished dimensions of 7.75" wide by 63" long per scarf. The design features a delicate border on all sides and incorporates a sophisticated diamond pattern created through the interplay of threading and treadling techniques.

Weaving Technique and Structure

This scarf employs an advancing point twill weave structure on an 8-shaft loom. The design evolved from experimentation with a baby blanket draft from the Atwater Recipe Book, demonstrating how different interpretations of a single draft can yield distinct visual results. The weaver uses a tromp as writ treadling approach with the original tie-up, combined with a point twill threading pattern. This technique creates the characteristic diamond motif that gives the scarf its name while maintaining the elegant striped appearance throughout.

Threading and Loom Setup

The scarf requires an 8-shaft loom that is at least 10 inches wide. The warp consists of 257 ends threaded across 5.5 yards. Threading follows a specific heddle distribution across the eight shafts:

• Shaft 1: 8 heddles
• Shaft 2: 22 heddles
• Shaft 3: 42 heddles
• Shaft 4: 52 heddles
• Shaft 5: 54 heddles
• Shaft 6: 44 heddles
• Shaft 7: 24 heddles
• Shaft 8: 9 heddles

The pattern repeats 5 times across the warp with floating selvedges at each end for clean edges. The sett is 30 ends per inch, achieved using either a 15-dent reed with 2 ends per dent (recommended) or a 10-dent reed with 3 ends per dent.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Silk Diamonds Scarf is woven entirely in Valley Yarns 20/2 silk, a 100% spun silk yarn with a yardage of 4900 yards per pound. The warp uses Valley Yarns 20/2 silk in #634 M. Navy, requiring 1420 yards for the two-scarf project. The weft is woven in #616 Lavender, with 909 yards needed for both scarves. The combination of navy and lavender creates a sophisticated color contrast that enhances the diamond pattern.

Equipment and Accessories

Beyond the 8-shaft loom, this project requires one boat shuttle for passing the weft and one bobbin for winding the weft yarn. The recommended reed is a 15-dent reed for optimal sett control, though a 10-dent reed serves as an alternative option.

Design Innovation

The Silk Diamonds Scarf demonstrates creative problem-solving in weave design. The original inspiration came from rotating a horizontal baby blanket draft to create a more suitable proportion for a scarf. The final design combines an advancing point twill threading with tromp as writ treadling and incorporates decorative borders on all four sides, elevating the finished piece from a simple geometric pattern to an elegant accessory suitable for gift-giving or personal wear.