Valley Yarns #203 Calm Sea Scarf

Valley Yarns Calm Sea Scarf

Project Overview

The Calm Sea Scarf is a woven design created by Joanne Wood Peters that captures the aesthetic of a coastal landscape. Inspired by a day at the shore, this scarf incorporates the colors and textures of sea, sand, and sky into a finished piece measuring 6.7" x 62" plus fringe. The design uses a sophisticated weaving structure combining plain weave with supplementary warp techniques to create visual depth and a muted, sophisticated color palette.

Weave Structure and Techniques

This scarf is constructed using plain weave as the base structure, enhanced with supplementary warp to add complexity and visual interest. The supplementary warp technique involves additional warp threads that float above or below the base weave, creating texture and dimension without increasing the overall density of the fabric. The black weft yarn further mutes the color palette, resulting in a calm, understated aesthetic that evokes the feeling of peaceful waters.

The weaving draft requires a 4-shaft loom at least 10 inches wide, which allows for the threading pattern necessary to execute both the plain weave base and the supplementary warp elements. The use of striped color ordering in the warp creates horizontal bands of color that interact with the weaving structure to produce the final visual effect.

Warp and Weft Specifications

The warp consists of 223 total ends, including 167 base ends, 54 supplementary ends, and 2 floating selvedge ends. The warp length is 3 yards. Warp colors are created using Valley Yarns 8/2 Tencel in the following quantities:

• Taupe: 282 yards
• Blueberry: 219 yards
• Mineral Green: 150 yards
• Black: 18 yards

The weft is woven entirely in Valley Yarns 8/2 Tencel in Black, requiring 360 yards total. All yarn is 100% Lyocell with a yardage of 3360 yards per pound, sold on approximately 1-pound cones.

Loom Setup and Sett

The scarf is woven at a sett of 24 ends per inch (epi), achieved by placing 2 threads per dent in a 12-dent reed. This sett produces a finished width of 7 inches in the reed, which finishes to 6.7 inches after weaving and finishing. The loom requires a 12-dent reed, 1 shuttle, and 1 bobbin for weft winding.

Materials and Yarn Characteristics

Valley Yarns 8/2 Tencel is the exclusive yarn used for both warp and weft in this project. Tencel, made from 100% Lyocell, is a cellulose fiber known for its smooth, lustrous appearance and fluid drape. The 8/2 weight refers to the yarn's thickness and twist construction, making it suitable for detailed weaving on a 12-dent reed. The yarn's natural sheen and smooth surface enhance the subtle color interactions created by the striped warp and plain weave structure.

Weaving Process Notes

The warp color order includes alternating sections between two colors. The pattern recommends holding two colors together while winding and twisting at the cross pegs to maintain thread control, rather than cutting individual ends. This technique simplifies the winding process while maintaining the integrity of the warp cross. A finger should be held between the two threads during winding to prevent tangling.

Threading follows a specific draft that distinguishes between base warp threads on shafts 1 and 2 for the plain weave foundation, with supplementary warp threads distributed across additional shafts to create the dimensional effect. Heddle counts per shaft are: Shaft 1 (84 heddles), Shaft 2 (83 heddles), Shaft 3 (12 heddles with supplementary warp), and Shaft 4 (6 heddles with supplementary warp).