Valley Yarns #175 Spring Scarf

Valley Yarns Spring Scarf

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Spring Scarf is a woven scarf designed by Anita Thompson that showcases the luxurious qualities of silk and Tencel fibers. This downloadable weaving pattern produces a finished scarf measuring 66 1/4 inches long by 7 7/8 inches wide, making it an elegant accessory suitable for spring wear. The design emphasizes the natural sheen of the materials through its thoughtful fiber selection and weave structure.

Weave Structure and Techniques

Turned Independent Block Overshot is the primary weave structure used in this pattern. This technique is a variation of traditional overshot weaving that offers significant practical advantages. By turning the overshot draft, the scarf becomes a 1 shuttle weave rather than the typical 2 shuttle overshot, which accelerates the weaving process considerably. This modification also simplifies the production of clean selvedges—the finished edges of the fabric—while requiring only a single bobbin and shuttle. Although threading the loom may take additional time due to the complexity of the draft, the actual weaving proceeds more efficiently than conventional overshot methods.

The weave incorporates stripe patterns created through the strategic use of different colored yarns in both the warp and weft. The tabby ends, which form the foundation structure of the weave, are threaded on shafts 7 and 8 of the loom.

Stitches and Threading Details

This pattern requires an 8-shaft loom, which provides the necessary complexity for the turned overshot structure. The warp consists of 535 ends with specific heddle counts distributed across the shafts as follows: Shaft 1 requires 41 heddles, Shaft 2 requires 50 heddles, Shaft 3 requires 64 heddles, Shaft 4 requires 58 heddles, Shaft 5 requires 28 heddles, Shaft 6 requires 24 heddles, and Shaft 7 requires 134 heddles. Shaft 8 shares the tabby responsibility with Shaft 7.

The threading pattern alternates between silk and Tencel yarns in a specific sequence. The pattern begins with 3 ends of silk, then alternates with 1 end of Tencel and 1 end of silk held together, with color changes in the Tencel according to the provided color order. The outermost ends on each edge are doubled to prevent breakage during weaving, and these doubled edge ends are threaded through single heddles to maintain proper tension.

Materials: Yarns and Equipment

Warp Yarns: The warp combines two distinct Valley Yarns products. Valley Yarns 60/2 Silk in color #615 Gray provides 900 yards of 100% silk yarn at a yardage rate of 14,800 yards per pound. This is paired with Valley Yarns 8/2 Tencel in two colors: Lemon Drop (763 yards) and Lemongrass (120 yards), both 100% Lyocell fiber at 3,360 yards per pound. The alternation of these yarns creates visual interest while the silk provides the characteristic sheen that inspired the design.

Weft Yarns: The weft uses Valley Yarns 60/2 Silk in #615 Gray, requiring 581 yards of the same 100% silk yarn used in the warp.

Equipment: The pattern requires an 8-shaft loom dressed with a 15-dent reed set at 60 ends per inch (epi), achieved by threading 4 ends per dent. The scarf is woven at 30 picks per inch (ppi). The width in the reed is 8.8 inches, and the total warp length needed is 3 1/2 yards. Only 1 bobbin and 1 shuttle are necessary, simplifying the weaving process compared to traditional overshot patterns.

Design Inspiration

The Valley Yarns Spring Scarf was conceived to highlight the luxurious qualities of silk and Tencel fibers. The choice of the turned overshot technique allows these premium materials to be displayed effectively while maintaining the structural integrity and visual appeal that makes this scarf a sophisticated spring accessory.