It’s Summer and the weather is hot, too hot perhaps to think about wearing a scarf. Yet you may be searching your closet for a nice light accessory that can be worn on a somewhat cooler summer evening. When you own a loom like the Kromski Presto or the Harp Forte, you are not limited when it comes to options for fiber choice! Wool is clearly not the 1st choice for summer wear. Cotton or linen, although cooler, may not have the soft drapey feel that one looks for in a scarf. So lets take a look at silk. No one can deny the cool, luxurious feel of silk, but a tight weave will actually inhibit the air flow that is needed in warmer weather. But when you weave your own fabric, you get to choose how tight the weave is! Keeping it loose will create a lovely drape and allow that all important summer breeze to pass through the fabric.
Yarn choice is equally important. When looking for a yarn suitable for a cool, light weight scarf, keep in mind that a tightly plied yarn has the same effect as a tightly woven fabric. A single ply tends to be a bit looser and therefor may make a better choice, although it will tend to pill more than a plied yarn.
For this project, we have used a single ply 100% silk yarn (10 WPI) and a “ribbon yarn” that was made by cutting lightweight silk fabric into strips. The strips are tied together giving the yarn a nice variegated appearance.
We’ve warped up a width of 7.5″ on the 16″ Presto that is equipped with the 8 dent heddle. This project would also fit easily on the 10″ Presto or any of the Harp Forte Looms. The warp was done in a random stripping pattern created by alternating the ribbon yarn and the single ply every couple inches or so.
Weaving was done using 2 shuttles and again, a rather random pattern. Part of it is just the silk ribbon as the weft. Other parts are done by alternating the ribbon for 2 passes and the single ply for 2 passes. The most important thing to remember when weaving this type of project is to beat lightly. In other words, don’t press the weft together too tightly. This would detract from the loose, light and breezy summer feel of this scarf. Take a look at the photo below. Notice that you can actually see some open spaces in the weave.
Because the ribbon will not fray much, we’ve left it loose in the fringe. The single ply, on the other hand, will end up pilling badly unless it’s twisted.
This scarf is the perfect accessory to any wardrobe! And thanks to the loose weave and appropriate fiber choice it won’t need to be packed away during the warm summer months. So grab your Kromski loom and some lightweight yarn or ribbon and start weaving before the weather gets cold again!
