Making a Soft and Cuddly Evergreen Scarf-Blog Post
We love scarves on the Rigid Heddle Loom. Amber wanted to make a scarf using 8/2 unmercerized Bleached White yarn that would be long enough to wrap around her neck and be versatile in how she wore it. And so, she designed her Evergreen Scarf. Let’s let her tell us all about it.
By Amber H.
If you are a rigid heddle weaver, you’re going to love this easy and beautiful Evergreen Scarf. I really wanted to design something using 8/2 unmercerized Bleached White yarn for the warp. And I wanted a nice long scarf. I love to wrap my scarves in different ways when I wear them. To make this project, I used a 16” rigid heddle Ashford loom using a 10-dent reed and couldn’t be happier with the outcome!
Warp that Loom!
I began warping the loom, using doubled threads, of 8/2 Bleached White American Maid™ unmercerized cotton. No need to rethread the heddle after I warped the loom! When you use doubled threads, you warp both the slots and the holes and the heddle is already set up to weave when you are done!
I could jump right into weaving! I filled my bobbins, for the weft, using a single strand of a few colors I enjoy: 8/2 Maurice Brassard unmercerized cotton Seaton, and Gris Fonce. And the same Bleached White yarn from the warp. Mmmm. I love those colors together!
I also love using a boat shuttle and bobbins to weave on my rigid heddle loom! It is much faster than using stick shuttles. The yarn comes off the bobbins so easily, and the shuttle fits so nicely in my hand!
Changing Colors!
When making this scarf, the pattern switches colors often. I used the pickup stick for the Seaton and Gris Fonce and for the Bleached White, I used plain weave. I thought the texture with the colors helped add more character to the scarf and the simple, plain weave for the Bleached White stripes really added a pop between the colors.
As I wove, I noticed I was encountering an off balance in my color changes when tucking my ends in. The stripes were not showing a straight line as the tails tucked they were stacking up on one side of the warp. To avoid the unbalanced look, I discovered it was easier to weave with the colors moving from right to left. Whereas, when weaving with the Bleached White, I’d move from left to right. Therefore, my tail ends didn’t bunch up together and helped balance it out for that straight color change.
Add a Bit of Bling!
I enjoy the look of beads on projects to simply add more character. I choose to use a clear and shinier bead for this scarf, and not an overwhelming number of beads. They add a cute glimmer to the finished scarf. Since I didn't use too many beads, the bling is noticeable up close, but not from far away. Just the right amount!
And a Bit of Color!
I also added extra strands of the Seaton yarn into my fringe as I was plying the fringe. This helped bring the green color into the all-white fringe. When I was all done, the fringe blends nicely with the scarf! And it sparkles!
Snuggly, Cozy and Warm!
The end results were exactly what I had hoped for, and this Evergreen Scarf is long enough to wrap around my neck in different ways and long enough to drape over me. It is light weight, beautiful, and something I can wear with multiple outfits. It is a quick and easy project that is great for a gift idea for yourself or a friend as the cool weather creeps up on us.
Give it a try! Tell me what you think.