Mitered-Loop Keyhole Scarf
The mitered loop is a technique I developed to work with the narrow bands of fabric that can be woven on small rigid-heddle looms.
This technique works well with any narrow length of fabric that has been woven on any size loom.
Creating a mitered loop is a bit like cloth origami. You fold and stitch a long, thin strip to create a textile that is twice as wide and half as long as the original band.
The final result is a clean point at both ends of the textile, with no fringe showing. It's perfect for scarves, table runners, stoles or shawls.
When I use the mitered loop to make scarves, I leave part of the center seam open, creating a "keyhole" that the other end of the of the scarf can pass through. This makes it easy to wear.
Mitered-loop, keyhole scarves look great whether worn straight or keyhole fashion.
Project details
A mitered-loop keyhole scarf is a single long strip of fabric that is folded and stitched to create a scarf that is wider and shorter than the orignal fabric. A short section is left unstitched to create a keyhole.
Construction Overview
Weave a long, narrow strip of fabric. It should be slightly more than twice as long and half as wide as the desired finished scarf. If you are working with yarn that shrinks a lot, allow for shrinkage in your calculations.
Fold it in half and stitch the two layers together just before the fringe. Then stitch along one long edge, leaving a section unstitched to form the keyhole opening.
Flatten the scarf open, and as with origami, this will form points at both ends. (The fringe will be concealed inside one point.) Stitch the points closed.
Equipment
A loom capable of weaving plain weave.
The blue striped scarf was woven on a Schacht Cricket rigid-heddle loom using an 8-dent heddle.
The multicolor scarf was woven on a two-shaft Saori floor loom using a 10-dent reed.
Yarn
Both scarves were woven using yarn from Patons.
Blue striped scarf
One ball of Patons Kroy Socks (75% Washable wool/25% Nylon), approx 152 m/166 yds, 50 gm/1.75 oz; in Coal; and two balls each of Patons Stretch Socks (41% Cotton/39% Wool/7% Elastic); approx 218/m/239 yd in Mineral and Kelp.
Multicolored scarf
One ball of Patons Kroy Socks (75% Washable wool/25% Nylon), Approx 152 m/166 yds, 50 gm/1.75 oz; in Coal; and two balls in Fern Rose Jacquard; and two balls of Patons Stretch Socks (41% Cotton/39% Wool/7% Elastic); approx 218/m/239 yd in Mineral.
Weave Structure
Plain weave.
Warping
Wind a warp 120 inches (305 cm) long as described below.
Blue striped scarf
Two strands of each color were held together as if they were a single strand to warp the loom in the following pattern (from left to right): 5 Black (10 strands total), 14 Mineral (28 strands total), 5 Black (10 strands total), 14 Kelp (28 strands total), 5 Black(10 strands total).
For weft, use one strand of Kelp Blue yarn.
The ball of Mineral yarn was placed at the left of the loom for use in the clasped-weft technique.
Multicolored scarf
One strand of each color was used to warp the loom in the following pattern: 5 Black, 14 Mineral, 5 Black, 14 Fern Rose Jacquard, 5 Black.
For weft, use one strand of Fern Rose Jacquard yarn.
The ball of Mineral yarn was placed at the left of the loom for use in the clasped-weft technique.
Dimensions
Before folding and stitching, the woven cloth (excluding fringe) is approximately 4 inches (10 cm) wide and 98 inches (246 cm) long.
The finished scarf is approximately 8 inches (20 cm) wide and approximately 48 inches (122 cm) long, when measured from tip-to-tip.
Clasped-Weft Technique
With the clasped-weft technique you can create unique colorways, designing at the loom. The technique is worked with two wefts, one color coming in from the right side of the loom and the other from the left. As you weave, one weft passes through an open shed, circles around the other weft, and goes back into the open shed, pulling a loop of the other weft into the shed behind it. You can then position the join anywhere you like within the shed.
In the example below, the weft in the shuttle on the right passed through the open shed and looped around a strand of yarn coming from the ball on the left. When the shuttle was put back into the open shed it drew a loop of the left-hand weft in with it. By pulling on the wefts, you can change the position of the join within the shed.
You'll notice that the weft is doubled in the cloth. This is normal when you weave with a clasped weft.
Close the shed and beat. To continue weaving with the clasped weft technique, you weave as normal, performing the clasped-weft interlock in each open shed.
I wove the blue striped scarf by always placing the join of the two colors in the center of the black stripe down the middle of the fabric.
I worked the multicolored scarf in a series of random points formed by placing the join of the wefts in a different place with each pick.
Editor's Note: For more information about weaving with clasped wefts, see Lynne Bruning's article, Clasped Weft Weaving with Conductive Thread and LEDs.
How to Create the Mitered Loop
- Weave the entire length of the fabric and cut it off the loom, leaving a fringe of approx 1-1/2 inches (3 cm) at each end.
Fold the fabric in half, bringing the fringed ends together. With your sewing machine set to a wide stretch stitch, sew the fringed ends together. (One layer exactly on top of the other). It is now a loop.
- Place the scarf (still folded in half) around your neck and decide where you want the keyhole to be.
On my scarves, I placed the keyhole approx 12 inches (30 cm) from the sewn edge. I place two pins approx 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) apart to mark the keyhole. Pin through both layers of the scarf.
- Sew the center seam of the scarf together, leaving the keyhole open. Stitch by hand, with one strand of yarn, picking up one selvedge loop at a time.
- Lay the scarf on your ironing board, and flatten it. Push the stitched end into a point, capturing all the fringe ends inside the point and steam the living daylights out of it.
- Stitch the pointed end closed.
- Flatten and fold the other end of the scarf, and press it. On this end, there are no fringes to trap inside. Stitch the point shut.
Voilà! You now have a mitered-loop, keyhole scarf! Wear it in good health!
Noreen Crone-Findlay is passionate about the fiber arts. She is an author, professional blogger, teacher, and designer. She takes delight in opening doorways to creativity for her readers and workshop participants. Noreen is married to the most wonderful guy on the planet, composer and jazz musician, Jim Findlay. They are blessed by being best friends with their daughter and her husband and their son and his wife. They have lots of cats and many dogs in their extended family. Noreen's latest book, The Woven Bag, will be released by Krause Publications next year. She also publishes books, monographs, and patterns under her own imprint: Crone-Findlay Creations.