Valley Yarns #310 Dahlia Shift Scarf

Valley Yarns Dahlia Shift Scarf

What Is Being Made

The Dahlia Shift Scarf is a handwoven silk scarf designed by Barbara Morse that measures 64.5 inches long by 7.75 inches wide, with approximately 6 inches of twisted fringe added to each end. This elegant accessory is inspired by vintage color-blocking techniques, drawing from the designer's memories of a 1960s chiffon scarf belonging to her mother and a silk pocket square owned by her father. The scarf's design allows the weaver to create visual interest through strategic color placement, enabling the finished piece to be styled in multiple ways depending on how the colors are folded and displayed.

Weave Structure and Techniques

This project uses a twill weave structure, a fundamental weaving technique that creates diagonal lines across the fabric surface. Twill weaving produces a fabric with inherent texture and visual depth, making it ideal for showcasing color blocking effects. The scarf is woven on a 4-shaft loom, which provides the framework necessary to create the twill pattern through the systematic raising and lowering of warp threads.

The weaving process begins with winding a 3-yard warp consisting of 387 ends total, including 2 floating selvedges that create finished edges. The warp is threaded according to a specific threading draft that centers the weaving width at 8 inches in the reed. Before beginning the actual scarf weaving, the weaver creates 8 to 9 inches of plain weave using scrap yarn; this sacrificial section spreads the warp evenly and provides the foundation for creating twisted fringe at both ends of the finished piece.

Materials and Equipment

The Dahlia Shift Scarf is constructed entirely from Valley Yarns 60/2 Silk, a luxurious 100% silk yarn with a thread count of 60/2, meaning 60 threads twisted together in a 2-ply construction. This fine silk yarn provides approximately 14,800 yards per pound, with each 8.8 ounce cone containing 8,140 yards.

Two colorways of Valley Yarns 60/2 Silk are used:

• #678 Wine Berry: 945 yards for the warp and 427 yards for the weft
• #677 Dahlia: 216 yards for the warp and 427 yards for the weft

Essential equipment includes a 4-shaft loom with a minimum width of 12 inches, 2 shuttles and 2 bobbins for managing the two weft colors, a tapestry needle for finishing, and a fringe twister for creating the twisted fringe edges.

Sett and Technical Specifications

The scarf is set at 48 epi (ends per inch) and 48 ppi (picks per inch), creating a balanced weave. This sett can be achieved using either a 16-dent reed with 3 ends per dent or a 12-dent reed with 4 ends per dent, providing flexibility depending on available equipment. The warp width in the reed is 8 inches, and the finished scarf dimensions are 64.5 inches by 7.75 inches before fringe is added.

Color and Design Elements

The Dahlia Shift Scarf employs a color-blocking strategy that creates visual versatility. By combining Wine Berry and Dahlia colorways in both warp and weft, the twill structure creates areas where colors shift and interact, allowing the weaver to fold and display the scarf in multiple ways. This design philosophy honors the vintage inspiration behind the piece, where the arrangement of colors could be adjusted to coordinate with different outfits and occasions.