by: Halcyon

Weaving with silk: Give this Silk Scarf a go!

September 5th, 2013 by Halcyon | Posted in General News, New arrivals at Halcyon Yarn, SM_TPE, SM_TPEF |

Handwoven’s Master Weaver Collection

2/30 Gemstone Silk Yarn

Sharon Alderman’s “Silk Scarf with Twill Stripes” from  Handwoven’s Master Weaver Collection: Favorite Projects and Lessons from Sharon Alderman eBook Printed is luminous luxury just waiting to be woven. If you’ve woven with silk you won’t need much encouragement to create this classic accessory. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for? Nothing could be finer than a woven silk scarf. The look, the feel… I love working with silk!  What weaver wouldn’t? As the colors interact the subtle sheen and drape are unmistakeable. Quite honestly, nothing compares to silk.

Originally published in the January/February 1983 issue of Handwoven, “Silk Scarf with Twill Stripes” uses my signature 2/30 Gemstone Silk Yarn, a yarn line chosen for its luster, color and beauty. I have a great sense of pride when accomplished weavers like Sharon choose to work with my yarns. The Gemstone color line has evolved over the years so the original colors used for this and other previously published projects are no longer available, but you’ll find the alternative color choices equally exquisite.

So go ahead and treat yourself to the sumptuous pleasure of weaving and wearing our Gemstone Silk. “Silk Scarf with Twill Stripes” is an ideal project. We’ve created ‘project colorways’ with the suggested colors for the scarf pictured, as well as a few of our own. Simply click through to the ‘project colorways’ below and you can add the entire colorway to your cart with one click! Of course you can also add only some of the colors and substitute/customize with your own creative selections! If you enjoy this project, be sure to look for new Gemstone Silk weaving projects in future issues of Handwoven.

Midnight Gems	Ocean Breeze
Ruby Night	Holly Berry

Tips for working with silk.

Once you’ve woven with silk I know you’ll want to weave more. For those of you venturing off to plan your own silk projects, I’d like to share some tips I’ve learned throughout the years. Joyfully you don’t have to worry about warp breakage or sticking unless you put your scissors too near. Silk is incredibly strong and wear resistant. However, the relative inelasticity, higher density, and lower shrinkage do mean you want to be closer in your sett than with wool or cotton. Silk will not full or “bloom” in finishing. You’ll also want to make sure your warp is wound with plenty of divider material between layers on the warp beam so the threads don’t slide down between layers.

I know samples are a pain but really do sample to be sure of sett and finishing technique. Wet finish your sample to be sure you don’t need to pre-rinse highly contrasting colors to get rid of  of excess dyes that sometimes stay in the darkest shades of blue and red. We do this by filling the sink with cool water, soap isn’t needed. Swish and squeeze a few times to thoroughly wet the fibers then drain, roll in towels and spin or stomp to get the sample to damp dry. Then lay flat to dry. Damp press just before dry or press with a damp press cloth after drying.  Adding soap, using very warm water and especially soaking for hours are not recommended as this can give dark molecules time to migrate to adjoining lighter colors where some may discolor the piece.  Dry cleaning is always a surefire way to avoid dye migration as well!

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