By Jane Patrick
Simplicity with a twist—that’s what I love so much about my Woven Scarves co-author Stephanie’s design sensibilities. Her Gypsy Dancer, woven in bright pink with a dark red streak down the center and a pop of gold and yellow along the edges, creates such a happy piece. While this scarf looks tricky, it’s really just plain weave with differential shrinkage—which means some yarns shrink and others do not. For the Gypsy Dancer, Stephanie placed a fine alpaca warp stripe down the middle, which she spot-felted during the finishing process, gathering the fabric along the center line for a wavy result.
My version uses similar materials: the same bamboo yarn in warp and weft in a deep chocolate brown. The edges are trimmed in a metallic gold and mohair, just as Stephanie did in the original. For the center stripe I used Helen’s Lace from Lorna’s Laces — which readily felted by rubbing the stripe with hot water and soap on a washboard.
This is just one of the many great projects in Woven Scarves. All of the scarves in the book were woven on a Cricket Loom, either a 10" or 15" weaving width. I find myself continually astonished by the variety that can be achieved with such a simple loom—which goes to show you that creating great stuff is all about pushing materials, color combinations, and processes.
If you are are curious about weaving on a rigid heddle loom, visit your local Schacht dealer. You may also check out Stephanie’s excellent Pickup Stick and Finger Control Techniques class on Craftsy. We hope you are as inspired by this powerful loom as we are!