Valley Yarns 40th Anniversary 06 Dots & Dashes Chenille Scarf

Valley Yarns 40th Anniversary Dots & Dashes Chenille Scarf

What Is Being Made

The Dots & Dashes Chenille Scarf is a woven accessory designed by Dena Gartenstein Moses that showcases the vibrant qualities of rayon chenille yarn. This scarf combines visual interest with luxurious texture, featuring a colorful striped pattern created through supplemental warp weaving. The finished scarf measures 70 inches by 8½ inches (excluding fringe) after washing, making it a generous neck wrap suitable for layering and styling.

Weaving Techniques

This project employs plain weave with supplemental warp as its primary structure. The supplemental warp technique allows for the introduction of decorative color elements while maintaining the stability of a plain weave foundation. The pattern creates a striped visual effect that resembles dots and dashes when viewed on the loom.

The pattern is easiest to execute on a six-shaft loom, though it can be adapted to a four-shaft loom with the understanding that the shed may not be as clean. The designer recommends using front-to-back warping when working with chenille, as this yarn naturally moves, stretches, and can develop snarls during the beaming process. Rather than fighting this characteristic, the pattern encourages weavers to accept these gnarls as part of the creative process and work them out with patience and humor.

A critical note for chenille work: the designer strongly advises against using a comb to work through the warp, as this can damage the delicate chenille fibers. With practice and time, managing chenille's movement becomes easier and more intuitive.

Loom Setup and Specifications

This scarf requires an 11-inch weaving width on a 4 or 6-shaft loom equipped with an 8-dent reed and standard shuttle and bobbin equipment.

• Warp Length: 3½ yards total, accounting for 4 inches of take-up and 42 inches of loom waste (which includes 5-inch fringes at each end)
• Width in Reed: 10½ inches
• Woven Length (under tension): 80 inches plus 5 inches of fringe at each end
• Total Warp Ends: 168 ends
• Warp Sett: 16 ends per inch (epi), threaded as 2 per dent in the 8-dent reed
• Weft Sett: Approximately 14 picks per inch (ppi)

Warp Yarns

The warp is constructed entirely from Valley Yarns rayon chenille (1,450 yards per pound), creating the foundational color palette. The warp uses four distinct rayon chenille colors in the following quantities:

• Amethyst: 116 yards
• Iris: 162 yards
• Dark Teal: 162 yards
• Aquamarine: 116 yards

Additionally, the pattern incorporates Eros ladder yarn by Plymouth Yarn Co. in colorway #3266 (50 grams per 165 yards) at 35 yards. This yarn is noted as discontinued; the pattern recommends substituting Eros II or a similar ladder yarn for contemporary projects.

Weft Yarns

The weft is woven entirely with Valley Yarns rayon chenille (1,450 yards per pound) in the Royal colorway, requiring 360 yards total. This creates a cohesive, monochromatic weft that allows the striped warp colors to dominate the visual pattern.

Material Characteristics and Finishing

Rayon chenille is the star material of this project. On the loom, the scarf appears relatively flat, but the chenille ribbon structure causes the yarn to expand and become dimensional after washing. The finished scarf achieves a luxuriously soft texture when properly washed, transforming from a modest appearance at the loom into a plush, candy-colored accessory. The combination of multiple rayon chenille colors in the warp creates the impression of a bowl filled with brightly colored candy, while the plain weave structure ensures durability and drape.

The finished dimensions of 70 inches by 8½ inches (not