Weaving "soft" textiles, part 1

A novice weaver contacted me recently wanting to learn how to weave “soft wefts.” When I asked for clarification, she said she really meant soft warps, as she had admired my soft scarves. The timing wasn’t right for a private lesson, but I thought it would be a good subject for the blog. So for Julia, and anyone else curious about weaving soft, wearable textiles, here are my two cents.

There are a number of properties at work that weavers refer to as the “hand” of the textile: the feel of the individual or mixed fibers against your skin, the drape of the fabric and the weight of the cloth. When you rub it with your fingers, is it rough or smooth? When it’s around your neck, does it hang in soft folds or lay flat against your body? Is it lightweight and delicate or thick and warm?

None of these characteristics is wrong. All that matters is how you want it to feel. What is “soft” to you? Once you determine the specific textile properties you are trying to achieve, the choices required to get there fall into place.

Many design decisions contribute to the hand of a woven textile: materials (yarns), sett or warp density, beat and weave structure. I will address sett, beat and structure in future posts. For today, I’ll share a bit of what I’ve learned about the softness of different materials and my preferences.

Silk

Always my favorite, but not always in the budget for a particular piece. (Although as I write this, Webs keeps sending me reminders about a very tempting sale on its 20/2 silk.) Spun silk (right in pic) makes scarves that are soft and luxurious. It is quite strong and easy to warp and weave. If the price doesn’t work for you, think about silk noil. It is less shiny and a bit nubby, but still finishes soft. Or look for silk blends like Merino/silk (branded as Zephyr by JaggerSpun), alpaca/silk from Webs or cotton/silk from Treenway Silks. When I want something especially soft, I pull out the Tussah (cone on left) and Muga silks.

Silky alternatives

Tencel® (lyocell), (left) most bamboo yarns (right) and rayon are all manufactured cellulose fibers extruded from viscous solutions. However, they are sourced from different plants. The manufacturer of Tencel® (lyocell) claims its processes have a lower carbon footprint than those for traditional rayon, while bamboo is touted as a sustainable plant source purported to have antibacterial and UV resistant properties. However, the "soft" bamboo yarn weavers know undergoes the same toxic, chemical processing as rayon, which is one reason it must be marketed as "rayon from bamboo." So, in that sense, it isn't as environmentally friendly as we've been led to believe. Traditional rayon and rayon chenille have been around for many years, but are no longer manufactured in the U.S. due to the environmental impact. If you are willing to overlook those concerns, however, all of them can become soft woven textiles.

Wool

Merino wool is probably the softest, least scratchy wool, but also is more expensive because the breed is particular about climate. Ask your local sheep breeders about the softest wool breeds in your area.

Alpaca is also soft, especially the Suri breed. Processing inefficiencies drive up the cost of locally raised alpaca, but imported alpaca is a little more affordable. Alpaca does have a tendency to shed fine hairs onto your clothes, however.

Mohair can make a soft scarf, but is furry and sticky as a warp. Alternating it with a smoother yarn can help.

Blends, like Webs Merino/Tencel® blend called Colrain Lace, (white yarn in the shawl above) can achieve lovely soft results at lower costs.

Cotton

Some cottons finish up very soft for towels or blankets, but I find many of them, unless they are very fine, remain too stiff for a nicely draped scarf. I have had success with Ecocot, an organic cotton from Silk City Fibers and have heard good things about Venne cotton, but haven’t tried it yet.

Mixed fibers

This is where I usually get the best results. Combining several different yarns in warp and weft can achieve a lovely soft hand and enable you to spread the cost of a precious yarn over more pieces. It does require sampling, however. Some safe bets: Tencel® with silk, organic cotton with merino wool and tussah silk, various cottons with Colrain Lace and silk.

Also, Silk City Fibers sells a wool crepe yarn (above) I call my magic weft. It visually disappears into a mixed warp of just about anything, but after wet finishing, creates the most beautiful, soft hand with lovely drape.

Just remember that mixing fibers throughout the warp vs. grouping them in stripes, will minimize unwanted differential shrinkage

Next month: Sett and beat