Valley Yarns #167 Op Art Bed Runner

Valley Yarns Op Art Bed Runner

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Op Art Bed Runner is a woven homeware textile designed by Elisabeth Hill. This decorative bed runner combines geometric and curvy visual elements to create an elegant accent piece for bedroom décor. The finished dimensions are 82½" long by 31½" wide, making it an appropriately sized runner for bed placement. Despite its sophisticated appearance, the piece is achievable on a mid-size loom and offers an interesting alternative to traditional scarves, shawls, or towels.

Weaving Structure and Techniques

This project utilizes deflected double weave, a complex weaving structure that creates dimensional fabric with visual interest. The design features striped patterns created through strategic color placement in both warp and weft. The weaving technique requires two-footed treadling, where the weaver's left foot alternates between two treadles while the right foot holds a single treadle down, demonstrating the dynamic nature of this intermediate to advanced project.

The runner is woven on an 8-shaft loom that is at least 36 inches wide. The warp is set at 24 ends per inch (epi) using a 12-dent reed with 2 dents per heddle, creating a warp width in reed of 33⅔ inches. The weaver uses two shuttles and four bobbins to manage the multiple yarn colors throughout the weaving process.

Stitches and Structural Details

The project begins with 1 inch of plain weave as a header, followed by 8 inches of unwoven warp for fringe. Several picks of slick scrap yarn are woven in and later removed after washing to facilitate fringe finishing. The main body of the runner measures approximately 92 inches of woven fabric, followed by additional picks of slick yarn, another 8-inch unwoven section for fringe, and a final 1-inch header to secure the fringe.

Materials: Yarns and Equipment

The Valley Yarns Op Art Bed Runner is woven entirely with Valley Yarns 2/14 Alpaca Silk, a premium yarn blend consisting of 80% alpaca and 20% silk. This luxurious fiber combination provides both softness and subtle sheen, creating the "fuzzy and silky" quality referenced in the design concept. The yarn yields 3472 yards per pound, with half-pound cones containing 1736 yards.

Warp yarns are distributed across four colors totaling 3392 yards:

• Black: 1408 yards
• Grey Teal: 848 yards
• Spring Green: 848 yards
• French Blue: 288 yards

Weft yarns in the same four colors total 2504 yards:

• Black: 952 yards
• Grey Teal: 730 yards
• Spring Green: 518 yards
• French Blue: 304 yards

The warp consists of 848 ends measured at 4 yards in length. Equipment requirements include an 8-shaft loom measuring at least 36 inches wide, a 12-dent reed, 2 shuttles, and 4 bobbins for managing the multiple yarn colors. Weaving is completed according to a detailed draft provided in the pattern, with the finished fabric measuring 82½ inches by 31½ inches.