I used my favorite home-made draft that I’ve woven many times before.
Warp is 2/28 cashmere sett at 25epi in a 50/10 reed.
Threaded right stripe in straight draw 1,2,3,4…
Threaded center stripe in Finnish Bird’s Eye p. 19 Davison 1971
At color change right side between right and center stripes, threaded right color 1,2,3 then center color 4,3,2,1,4,3,4,1,2,3,4…
This made a nice zig zag border at right.
At left side color change between center stripe and left stripe, threaded center color 1,2,3 then left stripe color 4,3,2,1…etc with straight draw in opposite direction from right stripe. This created a nice transition to the next color and left-side zigzag. One thread of 2/20 silk in matching color makes a good floating selvedge.
Wind 400 ends (actually, the draft uses 395 ends, I threw 5 extra ends off back of loom in case of broken threads).
80g/8x25=200 (dark grey) (50 pass pairs, holding two threads at a time) (draft requires 199 threads)
47g/5x25=124 (light grey) 31 pass pairs (draft requires 120 threads)
32g/3x25=76 (medium grey) 19 pass pairs
Total grams: 159
9.38 yard warp, dark grey, medium gray, light gray 2/28 cashmere.
2 ends per dent in 50/150cm reed (25epi)
16” wide in the reed
weave each scarf to 80” on the loom
Fringe: I measured 7” fringe on each end. This is the minimum length to make a good 5” twisted fringe. (8” is even better; the extra length makes it easier to get fringes even.) I twist with a wooden 4-clip fringe twister. Twist four hemstitched bouts 15 turns to the right. Combine two bouts together into 2 clips and twist the opposite direction left for 15 turns. Tie a knot at the end, using a T-pin to measure knot at 5” long on the cardboard pin pad.
Italian Hemstitching: 6 threads in each bout. 4 picks of weft. Weave 4 picks 1,2,3,4. Hemstitch those 4 picks. Weave 3,2,1,4,3,4,1,2,3,4…etc.
I wove the fabric by keeping the beater in the second slot and advancing the warp frequently. This helped keep the fabric tension and beat consistent.
Treadling 1,2,3,4,3,2,1,4,3,4…repeat
Stole #1
weft: purple 2/28 Diamante doubled and grey 2/20 Emblem doubled
Purple: stripe length 21”, 13, 8, 5, 3, 2, 1” with gray stripes between
Gray 1,2,3,5,8” with purple stripes between
Stripes are treadled 1,2,3,4,3,2,1,4,3,4,1,2,3,4,3,2,1. This makes a 3/4” stripe.
Begin weaving at color change after stripe with 4,3,4.
Stole #2
Weft: red 2/30nm emblem and blue 2/30 emblem doubled
red: 13, 8, 5, 3, 2, 1, 1/2, (1/2” striped blue between each red stripe) to reach center @ 39”
Once I reached the center, I wove six 1/2” stripes blue, red, blue, red, blue, red, then 1” blue to ascending Fibonnaci.
After these six center stripes, weave blue 1,2,3,5,8,13.
End with seven stripes alternating colors, End with red stripe. Hemstitch as #1.
Woven to 78”
I left this one in the dryer too long, for 30 minutes. It still feels and looks great! It’s about 2” narrower and 3” shorter, but the hand is still very nice, just a bit thicker and fluffier. I might do that on purpose again!
Stole #3
weft: 8/44 cashmere in soft pink, grey 2/30 and 2/80 nm mistral wool/silk tripled.
treadled 1,2,3,4,3,2,3,4,3,2,1 then 4,3,2,1,2,3,2,1,2,3,4 (M and W)
Cowl:
wove piece to 31 1/2” on loom. Weft is teal 2/28 Diamante. Davison treadling for Finnish Weave.
Somehow, I made an error in the tie up. I had to change it for the cowl. The tie-up I used for the 3 stoles is on the post it. The scarves look fine anyway. 4-shaft twill is so delightful.
Wet-finishing
These yarns are mill ends from factories that weave fabrics for Burberry, Dior, etc. and they are coated with oils to keep them from breaking in the machines. The spinning oils on these yarns must be removed. I hand-wash these individually in very hot water and Dawn dish liquid; sometimes 2 or three washes and rinses are needed. Add a generous squirt of Dawn liquid into the hot water and gently swish it around until dissolved and the water feels slippery. Do not create foam. I gently push the scarf under the water and leave it there without agitation. I soak it until the water cools from hot to warm, then I rinse in warm water. Gently squeeze the water out, repeat if necessary. You can tell if a repeat is needed - the sink will be full of dark, dingy water The final wash water should be clear. It takes 3 things to felt wool: hot water, soap, and agitation. If you remove any one of these factors, felting is not likely to occur. Place the scarf in a clothes dryer on medium hot for about 7-10 minutes. This removes the dripping wetness. Hang to dry. When just slightly damp, iron with a hot iron to set the fabric. Every wash after that should be in cool water, mild soap, drip dry. Shrinkage is around 10% in both length and width.
A note about yarn:
Diamante is around 6800yyp. I use it as doubled weft with a 2/28 cashmere warp setting at 24 epi. Diamante makes an unreliable warp.
2/28 cashmere is also around 6800yyp. It make a fine warp, not as delicate as it seems.
2/30 emblem (50/50 merino silk) is around 7200 ypp. It’s thinner than Diamante, but it’s not noticeable in the final product. I also use it doubled as weft. It can be used as warp.
2/30 extra-fine merino is a beautiful yarn. It is more delicate. It can be used as warp, but it often doesn’t hold up as well as cashmere.