Valley Yarns #253 Touch of Glam

Valley Yarns Touch of Glam Chenille Scarf

What Is Being Made

The Touch of Glam is a luxurious woven scarf designed by Marthe Young that combines elegant simplicity with decorative embellishment. This finished scarf measures 9 inches wide by 71 inches long, excluding fringe, making it an ideal accessory piece. The design specifically addresses the delicate nature of rayon chenille yarn by incorporating a protective twisted fringe finish rather than standard fringe, which would compromise the fragile fiber.

Weaving Techniques

This project employs several complementary weaving techniques to achieve its sophisticated appearance:

• Plain Weave Structure: The foundation of the scarf uses straightforward plain weave, providing a stable, classic base for the decorative elements.
• Beaded Danish Medallion Accents: Decorative beads are integrated into the weave using the Danish Medallion technique, adding visual interest and a touch of glamour to the plain weave foundation.
• Striping: The weft incorporates contrasting yarn colors—Light Almond chenille paired with Plymouth Yarn Gold Rush in Bright Gold—to create striped patterning throughout the scarf.
• Twisted Fringe Finish: Rather than traditional fringe, the scarf features twisted fringe specifically designed to protect the delicate rayon chenille from unraveling and damage.

Loom Setup and Specifications

The scarf is woven on a rigid heddle loom with specific technical requirements. The loom must be at least 15 inches wide and equipped with a 12-dent reed. The warp is set at 12 ends per inch (epi) with a finished pick density of 10 picks per inch (ppi). The warp measures 100 inches in length with 117 total ends, creating a finished width of 9.75 inches in the reed.

Weaving Equipment

Beyond the rigid heddle loom itself, the project requires:

• Two stick shuttles for weft insertion
• Size 6 (E) beads, approximately 100 beads total
• Two crochet hooks: a size D/3 (3.25 mm) hook for working with metallic yarn and a steel size 8 (1.4 mm) hook for handling seed beads
• Approximately 3 yards of bulky scrap yarn for the header

Yarns and Materials

Warp Yarn: Valley Yarns Rayon Chenille in Light Almond. This yarn is 100% rayon with a yardage of 1450 yards per pound and is sold on approximately 1-pound cones. The project requires 325 yards of warp yarn.

Weft Yarns: The scarf uses two complementary weft yarns. The primary weft is Valley Yarns Chenille, also in Light Almond (100% rayon, 1450 yds/lb). The project requires 215 yards of this yarn. The accent weft is Plymouth Yarn Gold Rush in #4 Bright Gold, which is a blend of 80% rayon and 20% polyester sold in 25-gram mini cones. Only 10 yards of the gold yarn is needed to create the striping effect.

Loom Dressing Instructions

The warp is threaded with 58 slots in the 12-dent reed, creating 116 ends, with one additional single end placed in the final slot. This threading pattern ensures the scarf begins and ends in a slot for balanced selvedges. The Light Almond rayon chenille must be wound slowly onto the back beam with stiff craft paper layered between chenille passes to prevent tangling and maintain consistent tension. This precaution is essential because rayon chenille is a delicate yarn prone to snagging and tension irregularities.

Design Inspiration

The Touch of Glam design emerged from combining two popular weaving requests: a rigid heddle project featuring rayon chenille and a beaded weaving project incorporating the Danish Medallion technique. By merging these elements and adding the protective twisted fringe finish, the designer created a versatile scarf suitable as a gift or personal accessory that showcases the luxurious qualities of rayon chenille while maintaining structural integrity.