Weaving a Tartan Scarf

A couple of years ago, I wove some scarves using a Cummings Tartan.  My Mother's family is  Cummings and I found a pattern with a slight asymmetry and I decided to try it.  I choose a wool/silk blend and the scarves turned out quite well.

Last year I bought some more of the yarn to do some more scarves.  My son decided that it would look great on his new coat, so I wound a warp.  It took many months, but I have finally got it on the loom and working.  I put about 15 yards of warp on and so I will be weaving these for a while.

 The 15 yards makes quite a large amount a yarn wound around the back beam.

After winding the 260 threads, I need to thread each one through a heddle.  Putting them in the heddles in the correct order keeps the stripes of color that will make the pattern,.

Once all the yarns are threaded though the heddles, you can almost see the stripe pattern.  I then need to thread each one through a space (dent) in the reed.

I have a tool to help me thread through the reed, and for this project I am threading two yarns through each space.

When the reed I completely threaded the pattern really shows up.  I love the center stripe, the black with the center threads of red, blue and black.  This area is the asymmetrical part of the pattern.  Unlike the green stripes on the sides, the black strip does not exactly mirror itself on each side.

More to come,