Woven Scarf | Purl Soho

When I was in college I spent a January break deeply ensconced in a weaving studio in Maine learning the ins and outs of heddles, warps and wefts. I became fascinated with the beauty of woven fabric, but once the month was over, I faced the same dilemma as many aspiring weavers before me: even if I could have afforded a room-size loom, where in the world would I put it? My dorm room? Or later, my first New York City shoebox apartment?

Woven Scarf | Purl Soho

And so, about a million years later, I’m so excited to be back at the loom! This time with Schacht Spindle Co.’s perfectly engineered Cricket Loom. About the size of a record player, this rigid-heddle loom turns out beautiful woven fabric without requiring its own room. The Cricket is also super easy and insanely satisfying!

Woven Scarf | Purl Soho

For this Woven Scarf I worked a plain weave, choosing yarns that would add their own complexity and depth. Habu’s Dyed Bamboo forms a strong, smooth and wonderfully lustrous warp. And the hand dyed subtlety of Anzula’s Squishy gives the weft a gently variegated beauty. The result is a stunning lightweight scarf with all the classic simplicity of woven fabric!

Woven Scarf | Purl Soho

As a lover of all crafts that involve my hands and some yarn, the Cricket Loom is my new best friend. It swings open the door to a whole world of fiber arts whose inspiration is truly endless!

Get the Woven Scarf how-to’s right here. Be sure to also check out our Cricket Loom Tips here and our Finishing with Hemstitch tutorial here! Happy weaving! -Whitney

The Materials Woven Scarf | Purl Soho

  • Warp: 1 skein of Habu’s Dyed Bamboo or 20/12 Bamboo, 100% bamboo.
  • Weft: 2 skeins of Anzula’s Squishy, 80% superwash merino, 10% cashmere and 10% nylon.
  • Schacht Spindle Company’s 15-inch Cricket Loom
  • A 15-inch, 12 dent Cricket Reed

Here are some color recommendations, shown above, clockwise from the top left:

  • Dyed Bamboo, Teal; and Squishy, Teal (This is the combination I used.)
  • Dyed Bamboo, Silver; and Squishy, Seaside
  • 20/12 Bamboo, White; and Squishy, Au Natural
  • Dyed Bamboo, Charcoal; and Squishy, Elephant

The Pattern

Structure

Plain Weave

Warp

Warp Length: 103 inches (includes 15 inches of loom waste)

Warp Ends: 154

Width in Reed: 12 inches

Ends Per Inch (E.P.I.): 12 7/8

Pick Per Inch (P.P.I): 14

Finished Size

11 1/2 inches wide x 88 inches long with a 1/2-inch fringe

Note

Cricket Looms come with a very user-friendly instructional booklet that walks you through every step of the weaving process, from assembling the loom to tying the fringe. For even more guidance, check out our Cricket Loom Tips here. And for the Woven Scarf pattern read on right here!

Begin

WARPING THE LOOM

Woven Scarf | Purl Soho

Set up the warping peg 103 inches from the back of the loom, and use the Habu Bamboo to warp the loom. Note that, at this point, the back of the loom is clamped to the far edge of the table and so is the side farther away from the warping peg.

To begin threading the heddle, pull the first loop of yarn through the 7th slat from the right end of the reed. Finish with the 7th slat from the left end.

When you transfer a strand from each slot to each hole, start from the right and end with the last strand in the 7th hole from the left.

You should have 154 warp threads.

WEAVING

Woven Scarf | Purl Soho

Using the Anzula Squishy as the weft yarn, be sure to leave about a 36-inch tail when you begin. You will use it at the end to finish your scarf.

Weave in plain weave until you reach the end of the warp. Leave a 36-inch tail at the end of the weft.

FINISHING

Woven Scarf | Purl Soho

For a complete how-to on this step, visit our Finishing with Hemstitch tutorial right here.

Finish each end of the scarf with a hemstitch. Make the hemstitch around groups of 4 warp ends, until you get to the last 10 ends, at which point, finish with two groups of 5 ends.

Cut the fringe 1/2 an inch from the end of the scarf. Weave in the hemstitch tails and gently hand wash your finished scarf, laying it flat to dry.

That’s it! You’ve woven a beautiful scarf!