Valley Yarns #248 Diamonds and Roses Shawl

Valley Yarns Diamonds and Roses Shawl

What Is Being Made

The Diamonds and Roses Shawl is a woven wrap designed by Merriel Miller that combines bold geometric elements with delicate floral motifs. This finished shawl measures 20.75" x 79" (excluding fringe) and is created using the Deflected Doubleweave technique on an 8-shaft loom. The design harmonizes the visual qualities of alpaca silk yarn, with vibrant diamonds that draw attention while revealing softer rose patterns upon closer inspection.

Weaving Technique and Structure

Deflected Doubleweave is the primary weaving structure used for this project. This advanced technique creates a fabric with depth and dimension by manipulating two layers of weaving that interact to form the diamond and rose motifs. The method requires careful attention to weft placement and beat to achieve the intended visual effects.

The shawl is woven on an 8-shaft loom with a minimum weaving width of 26 inches. The weaving width in the reed is set at 23.4 inches, with a total of 350 warp ends including two floating selvedges at the edges. The sett (density) is 15 ends per inch, achieved by threading 1-2 threads in a 10-dent reed.

Yarn Materials and Specifications

This project uses Valley Yarns 2/14 Alpaca Silk, a premium yarn blend consisting of 80% alpaca and 20% silk. This fiber composition provides both warmth and lustrous drape characteristic of alpaca combined with the smooth sheen of silk. The yarn yields 3,472 yards per pound and is sold on 0.5-pound cones.

Warp Yarns:

• Lilac: 1,106 yards
• Eggplant: 119 yards

Weft Yarns:

• Eggplant: 1,368 yards

Total yarn requirement is two cones of Valley Yarns 2/14 Alpaca Silk—one each in Lilac and Eggplant colorways. The warp length is 3.5 yards with 350 ends, which includes allowance for a 10-inch fringe.

Weaving Techniques and Process Details

The project requires stripe patterning achieved through the warp color order chart, which guides the placement of Lilac and Eggplant yarns across the warp. The warp is wound following this specific color sequence before being dressed onto the loom using the provided threading draft.

The weaving process begins with spreading the warp using a few picks of scrap yarn in plain weave (using treadles 1 and 2) to establish proper tension. Spacers are added as needed to maintain the 10-inch fringe allowance. The first 2 picks are woven using Eggplant yarn and hemstitched in groups of 12-13 ends to secure the warp.

A critical technique for this project is the soft beat—the weaver gently taps each weft pick into place rather than using a firm, aggressive beat. This gentle approach allows the Deflected Doubleweave structure to develop properly and prevents distortion of the delicate diamond and rose patterns. The weaver must monitor the plain weave areas throughout the process to establish and maintain consistent picks per inch (ppi).

Equipment Requirements

Weavers need an 8-shaft loom with a minimum weaving width of 26 inches, one shuttle, and one bobbin. A 10-dent reed is used for threading, and standard loom equipment for dressing and weaving is required.