This summer was glorious, hot and sunny for the most part.  In between enjoying the sunshine, travel, spending time with family and friends and guild activities, I spent my spare time playing with my summer project.  This was inspired by a piece Jane Stafford showed us at her workshop – a delicate cotton 4-layer shawl she purchased on her trip to India.  So, while nothing is really new in weaving, this was new to me and I enjoyed finding pockets of time to work on this.

As we move into the last few weeks of summer, and the days begin to get shorter again, I would like to share with you my now completed intense summer project.  A four layer scarf!  A real Tim Horton’s “double-double”!

This scarf has four layers of super soft drape in Bambu 12 – green, orange, white and pink, woven on my eight shaft “Jane” table loom.  Each colour was threaded on two shafts, allowing plain weave layers in pure colours.  The draft is simple, the warping up and weaving was slow, slow, slow.

I measured, sleyed and threaded each layer separately.  Each colour was 24 ends per inch, 8 inches wide, and three yards long, for a total of 96 ends per inch.  Layer 1 (green) on shafts 1 and 5; Layer 2 (orange) is on shafts 2 and 6; Layer 3 (white) is on shafts 3 and 7; and Layer 4 (pink) is on shafts 4 and 8.  I tried to upload a copy of the draft, but this didn’t work. If you are interested in a copy of the draft, let me know by e-mail, and  I can send you the pdf.

Weaving was also slow, 96 picks per inch.  So, it really did take me all summer to finish this!

First I wove four separate layers for the end, open at the sides so they could float freely.

Next I wove tunnels – one colour on top, second colour in the centre, these two colours attached at the sides, second half of the tunnel – third colour in the centre, fourth colour on the bottom with these two colours attached at the sides.  I wove four tunnels in all, changing the colour order, so different colours appeared on top, top-middle, bottom middle, and bottom for each tunnel.  The separate scarf ends can be stuffed through the tunnels for a fun way to wear the scarf.

The centre section is closed on the sides, and I experimented with striped layers of different widths, and also played with pick-up (extremely slow, because each colour had to be on top, and top-middle, and bottom middle, and bottom, for each pass of the weft).  Such a leap of faith to weave without being able to see the  middle or the bottom side, and hoping that the colours are falling where I want.

Then, the final end, four separate layers again.  I made each layer a different length, just for fun.  Finally, I twisted 8 threads per twisted fringe for a total of 96 twisted fringe ends.

I am so happy with the finished scarf and learned a few things along the way.  I love the way the colours stayed brilliant and clear.

That’s what I did with my summer.  What did you do with yours?