By Denise Renee Grace I am often pleasantly surprised with "happy accidents" in my creative process, and this scarf is one of those gifts. I set out to do something like the "Posh Plum" scarf from the book Woven Scarves. Even though I planned to double the warp every inch or so, when it came to warping, I went on auto pilot and totally forgot. Still wanting the striped effect, Sashiko seemed to be the perfect answer to my "accident". Recently, I have been exploring a Japanese-style embroidery technique that uses basic running stitches and I thought it would be great to add stripes to the fabric of my scarf.

One of the many things I love about hand-made items is seeing the progress. Each step feels like a mini victory, but when the end product is done, it takes on a life of its own. This is the yarn from my default challenge: handspun from merino/silk roving in Garden colorway and For Better or Worsted Yarn in Grace colorway, both from Anzula.

The project was woven on my 10" Cricket handweaving loom using an 8-dent heddle with For Better or Worsted in the full width of the heddle. I set the warping peg about 84" from the rear apron bar. Using the handspun as the weft, the project was simple, but has a subtle and elegant beauty. The running Sashiko stitched stripes were done about an inch apart. These stitches cause the fabric to have a different look and feel, giving a slightly gathered depth to the scarf. The fringe just wanted to be twisted for the perfect finishing touch!

Did you get inspired by one of the scarves in the Woven Scarves book? Please share pictures with us! We love to see the endless possibilities of woven creations!