Valley Yarns #260 Taste of Burgundy Scarf

Valley Yarns Taste of Burgundy Scarf

What Is Being Made

The Taste of Burgundy Scarf is a woven accessory designed by Joanne Wood Peters and woven by Anita Thompson. This downloadable weaving draft produces a finished scarf measuring 6.75 inches wide by 62 inches long (excluding fringe). The scarf features a sophisticated tonal color palette combining deep sea coral, ecru, and burgundy tones that create visual depth through embedded geometric patterns.

Weaving Techniques

This project uses twill weaving as its primary structure, a classic weaving technique that creates diagonal lines and patterns through a specific sequence of interlacing warp and weft threads. The design showcases multiple embedded boxes and diamonds characteristic of twill variations, all achieved through careful manipulation of shaft sequences on an 8-shaft loom.

The weaver must pay careful attention to beat tension, as this pattern requires a light beat to achieve properly proportioned geometric shapes. The pattern includes a practice section of approximately 27 picks to allow weavers to adjust their technique before committing to the final scarf. The pattern uses striped techniques in the warp color order to build the tonal burgundy aesthetic.

Weaving Specifications

• Loom Requirements: 8-shaft loom, minimum 10 inches wide
• Reed: 15-dent reed
• Sett: 26 ends per inch (epi), set as 2-1-2-2 in the 15-dent reed
• Picks Per Inch: 26 ppi
• Width in Reed: 7.65 inches
• Warp Length: 3 yards of 199 ends (including 2 floating selvedges)
• Shuttle and Bobbin: 1 shuttle and 1 bobbin required

Yarns and Materials

This scarf uses Valley Yarns 8/2 Tencel for both warp and weft. Tencel is a sustainable lyocell fiber made from wood pulp, offering a smooth, lustrous finish ideal for scarves. The yarn is sold on approximately 1-pound cones with a yardage of 3360 yards per pound, making it economical for larger projects.

Warp Yarn Colors and Quantities:

• Deep Sea Coral: 324 yards
• Ecru: 171 yards
• Burgundy: 102 yards

Weft Yarn: Valley Yarns 8/2 Tencel in Burgundy, 425 yards total.

Weaving Process

Weavers begin by winding a 3-yard warp following the specified warp color order, which creates the striped foundation for the scarf's tonal palette. The loom is then dressed using the provided threading draft, with careful attention to the floating selvedge ends on each side for finished edges.

After tying onto the front apron rod, several picks of plain weave using scrap yarn help spread the warp evenly. The weaver then enters the practice phase, weaving 27 picks of the twill pattern while monitoring the proportions of the embedded boxes and diamonds. If the pattern boxes appear rectangular rather than square, a firmer beat is needed; if too squat, the beat should be lightened. This calibration continues through the next 27 picks until the pattern achieves proper square proportions when tension is released.

Once the technique is perfected, the weaver proceeds with the full scarf, using the twill threading draft to create the complex geometric patterns characteristic of this design. The finished scarf excludes fringe, presenting clean dimensions of 6.75 by 62 inches.

Design Inspiration

The Taste of Burgundy Scarf exemplifies the designer's passion for exploring twill variations across different color combinations. The tonal palette—combining deep sea coral, ecru, and burgundy—creates sophisticated visual interest through color gradation rather than high contrast, allowing the embedded boxes and diamonds to emerge subtly from the fabric surface.