Shaded Scarf

Day 328: The double experiment has reached a successful conclusion. Not only did the deliberate alignment of space-dyed warp work out the way I'd planned it, giving a "painted" appearance at the transitions, the sectional reed allowed me to combine different weights of thread for a textured feel. The drape of this soft cotton piece is lovely, but the best part is that the warp was made entirely with "leftovers," tag ends from previous projects. It took some careful planning to reach maximum efficiency, but I am quite pleased with the result. The finished scarf measures 63" x 8" and its destiny has already been determined (nope, I'm not telling!). That said, as much as I would like to repeat the process,commercial space-dyed threads have gone out of vogue and are rather difficult to find these days. This shade is no longer available.

Double Experiment

Day 312: While in the realm of science, it would be bad form to conduct two simultaneous experiments on a single subject, my experience as a fiber artist is sufficient that I felt I could predict the outcome of one with a tolerable level of accuracy, to wit, using a variable dent reed for the first time on my rigid heddle loom. The reed is designed to accommodate two or more different weights of warp thread in the same piece, but there are limitations. The sections are a fixed width, so a little extra planning is required. I had 136 yards of heavier cotton thread which I wanted to use up, plus two balls of lighter weight space-dyed cotton with one shade which matched that of the heavier cotton. Consultation with a pocket calculator told me I could make a 6' scarf with two bands of the heavier thread separated by a wider band of space-dyed thread in addition to outer bands of the same space-dyed thread plus a heavier selvedge. However, I wanted to maximize the space-dyed thread to create a "painted" look, i.e., I wanted to warp it so that the colour changes more or less matched up to make a transition zone between the four hues in the thread. For weft, I had two choices: lavender or Pacific blue. I opted for Pacific blue, hopefully allowing the blue-green areas of the scarf to dominate. That was the second experiment, and I am happy to report that it worked out as planned. The effect is subtle and pleasing to the eye.