Wild Bloom Scarf - Weaving with Bamboo Bloom Handpaints

Posted by Jodi Ybarra on June 30, 2024

Weaving Texture with Bamboo Bloom Handpaints

As most of you know, I love weaving with cotton. Cotton is my go-to yarn and I love it for so many reasons.

But recently I was talking with my good friend and fellow weaver, Michele Marshall of Mingo's Corner Shop. We were discussing some options for adding some new fibers with more texture to our projects and she suggested Bamboo Bloom Handpaints.

Well of course she piqued my interest and I ordered some for the shelves here at Cotton Clouds. The new Bamboo Bloom skeins arrived, and my eyes couldn't believe the beautiful colors and fantastic texture!

I immediately started planning a project with this scrumptious bamboo and wool blend yarn. I had so much fun weaving with this yarn that I finished the whole project in one sitting and I started the next. Suffice to say, I wove off four warps in two days!

Yes, I'm excited about Bamboo Bloom Handpaints and now I want to share it with all of my weaving friends!

Why should we love Bamboo Bloom Handpaints you ask?

Bamboo Bloom Handpaints is a fun thick-to-thin yarn that incorporates variegated textures and colors as you work.

The thin strands of bamboo give this yarn a touch of shine and a gloriously silky feel. The thick, fluffy wool areas that show up in just the right places add texture and a variation of color. I found myself excitedly anticipating when the next area of texture would appear.

As I was learning all there is to know about Bamboo Bloom Handpaints, I realized that it's basically used for knitting and crochet. I decided right then and there that we need weaving patterns for this wonderful yarn. So, here is a fun pattern that I think you will all enjoy!

Let's Weave a Scarf with Bamboo Bloom Handpaints!

First, I needed to decide on what yarn I'd be using for warp since Bamboo Bloom is best intended as a weft yarn. I wanted a silky scarf that would be soft to the touch and drape nicely. My warp yarn of choice for this project is Bamboo Pop.

Bamboo Pop is a wonderful yarn all by itself. It warps up beautifully at 10 epi and there are so many colors to choose from. I decided that this was the perfect yarn to pair with Bamboo Bloom.

Bamboo Bloom Handpaints is used for the weft. I realized that plain weave suits Bamboo Bloom best because there is already so much going on with the thick and thin texture and variation of colors. I also made sure to beat lightly which shows off the texture even more and keeps my scarf from becoming stiff. It was such a relaxing weave!

Then on my second scarf I added some bobbles using a hand manipulated technique with a wooden needle. It's still plain weave, but who doesn't love adding a special touch to their design!

I hope you enjoy this free pattern and weave some scarves in both variations of simple plain weave and then add some bobbles!

Weave a Wild Bloom Scarf

Weave structure: plain weave
Equipment needed: Rigid heddle or 4-shaft loom; 10.2” weaving width; 10 dent reed; 2 shuttles (either stick or boat); 1 large eyed needle for hemstitching; Fringe Twister (optional).
Warp Yarn: Bamboo Pop, 281 yds (1 ball)
Weft Yarn: Bamboo Bloom Handpaint, 154 yds (1 skein); Bamboo Pop, 10 yds.
Total warp ends: 102
Warp length: 2.75 yds (99”)
Setts: 10 epi; 6-8 ppi
Finished size: one scarf approximately 9" x 65" plus fringe.
Instructions included with kit along with a free PDF Pattern Download.

Warping the Loom
Set up your loom to direct warp a length of 2.75 yds (99”) or wind a warp of 102 ends 2.75 yards long if you prefer to use a warping board. Bamboo Pop will be used for the entire warp.

Warp your loom using your preferred method of either direct or indirect warping.

For Rigid Heddle: Wind the warp onto the back beam and then transfer one thread from each slot into the holes. You will now have one thread in each slot and one in each hole.

For 4-Shaft Loom: Sley one per dent in a 10-dent reed and thread heddles for plain weave (1,2,3,4). Tie up for shaft looms will be 1,3 and 2,4.

Preparing the Shuttles
Wind your skein of Bamboo Bloom into a ball then wind onto a shuttle. Wind a second shuttle with at least 10 yards of Bamboo Pop.

Weaving
Weave 8” of waste yarn allowing for fringe.
With Bamboo Pop Shuttle, weave 3 picks leaving a tail four times the width of your warp. Hemstitch across in groups of 3 warp threads and 3 weft threads with the tail. Weave another 7 picks with Bamboo Pop, then cut and tuck in tail.

Change to shuttle of Bamboo Bloom. Your entire scarf will be woven in plain weave. Bamboo Bloom is a wonderfully constructed yarn in a combination of bamboo and wool. The thinner bamboo areas of the yarn are very strong and shiny, while the wool areas are fluffy and full of texture.

Picks per inch will matter as you are weaving your scarf. You’ll want to achieve 6-8 picks per inch with the Bamboo Bloom Handpaints yarn throughout the entire scarf. Beat lightly as you are weaving. By beating your weft with a light hand your scarf will come out soft and drape nicely.

Weave with Bamboo Bloom for 65” then cut and tuck in tail.
Finish with 10 picks of Bamboo Pop then hemstitch in the last three rows.
Cut scarf from the loom, making sure to allow for at least 8” for fringe.

Recap:
Weave with waste yarn allowing for 8” fringe.
Weave 1” with Bamboo Pop hemstitching in the first 3 rows.
Weave 65” with Bamboo Bloom Handpaints at 6-8 picks per inch.
Weave 1” with Bamboo Pop, then hemstitch in the last 3 rows.
Cut scarf from loom allowing for 8” fringe.

Note: A preferred scarf length varies depending on personal style and how you want to wear it. However, here are some common guidelines:
Stardard Scarf Length: 55-72"
Children (4 to 7 years) 36-42"
Preteens (8 to 12 years) 50-58"
Adults (men and women) 60-72"

Finishing and Twisting the Fringe:
Trim your fringe to 8” on both ends of your scarf. Lay one end of your scarf on a flat surface and place a heavy book on it so that it doesn’t move around. You can now proceed with a fringe twister or twist your fringe by hand in groups of 3 threads per twist.

Twisting Fringe:
Starting at one side, separate your first six strands and divide these into two groups of three. Twist the first group of three strands clockwise until the twist is nice and firm all the way to the top of the twist. Then do the same with the second group of three strands, still holding the first twisted group. Once you have both groups twisted, hold these two twists together and let them twist on each other counter-clockwise. Secure with an overhand knot. If you end up with an odd number of threads at the end of your fringe just twist the extra thread into the last fringe that you make.

Caring for your handwoven scarf:
Hand wash in a mild detergent and rinse. Roll in a towel to get out excess water and lay flat to dry.

Congratulations! You have finished your Wild Blooms Scarf, and you can enjoy your fun accessory or gift it to a loved one.

Keep reading for adding bobbles to your Wild Bloom Scarf!

Weave a Wild Bloom Scarf with Bobbles

Weave structure: plain weave with hand manipulated technique
Equipment needed: Rigid heddle or 4-shaft loom; 10.2” weaving width; 10 dent reed; 2 shuttles (either stick or boat); 1 weaving needle; 1 large eyed needle for hemstitching; Fringe Twister (optional).
Warp Yarn: Bamboo Pop, 281 yds (1 ball)
Weft Yarn: Bamboo Bloom Handpaint, 154 yds (1 skein); Bamboo Pop, 10 yds.
Total warp ends: 102
Warp length: 2.75 yds (99”)
Setts: 10 epi; 6-8 ppi
Finished size: one scarf approximately 9" x 65" plus fringe.

Follow the instructions for warping your loom in the original Wild Bloom Scarf Pattern.

Weaving
Weave 8” of waste yarn allowing for fringe.

With Bamboo Pop Shuttle, weave 3 picks leaving a tail four times the width of your warp. Hemstitch across in groups of 3 warp threads and 3 weft threads with the tail. Weave another 7 picks with Bamboo Pop, then cut and tuck in tail.

Change to shuttle of Bamboo Bloom.

Start by weaving in plain weave for an inch or so. Picks per inch will matter as you are weaving your scarf. You’ll want to achieve 6-8 picks per inch throughout. Beat lightly as you are weaving but beat heavy for two picks after each bobble. Beating harder after the bobbles will help keep them in place. Beating lightly throughout the scarf will help your scarf be soft and drape well instead of being stiff.

The bobbles in your scarf will be randomly spaced throughout. You can add as many bobbles as you like, but they can only be made in the fluffy wool areas of your Bamboo Bloom yarn. I also recommend that you only make bobbles in the first 20” and last 20” of your scarf. The middle area of your scarf will be looping around your neck and the bobbles may get tangled in your hair or earrings.

With an open shed, use a weaving needle (or other pointed stick) to pick up loops of the wool weft between the raised warp threads. With the pointy end of your needle poke it down between two warp threads and bring up a large loop of fluffy wool. Then again with the point of your needle, go down between the next warp threads and pick up another loop. Picking up 3-5 loops per bobble is best. Be sure that your side selvedge area is still in place and hasn’t pulled in as you are pulling up the loops with your needle.

After you have placed your loops on the needle, leave the needle in place and beat firmly. If you are weaving on a rigid-heddle loom you can angle the heddle to beat under the wooden needle. Weave two picks in plain weave with a firm beat to lock your bobble in place.

Watch a demonstration for weaving bobbles:

Continue weaving in plain weave and adding bobbles where desired. Remember to keep your beat at 6-8 picks per inch, except beat harder for two picks after making a bobble.

Make bobbles only in the first 20” and last 20” of your scarf, weaving only in plain weave throughout the middle area. Your scarf should measure approximately 65” total (20” with bobbles, 25” in plain weave only, then last 20” with bobbles).

Finish by changing to the shuttle of Bamboo Pop in the last inch of your scarf. Hemstitch at the end and cut from loom leaving at least 8” unwoven for the fringe.

Twisting the Fringe:
Trim your fringe to 8” on both ends of your scarf. Lay one end of your scarf on a flat surface and place a heavy book on it so that it doesn’t move around. You can now proceed with a fringe twister or twist your fringe by hand in groups of 3 threads per twist.

Starting at one side, separate your first six strands and divide these into two groups of three. Twist the first group of three strands clockwise until the twist is nice and firm all the way to the top of the twist. Then do the same with the second group of three strands, still holding the first twisted group. Once you have both groups twisted, hold these two twists together and let them twist on each other counter-clockwise. Secure with an overhand knot. If you end up with an odd number of threads at the end of your fringe just twist the extra thread into the last fringe that you make.

Finishing Bobbles:
With your pointer finger and thumb, pinch your bobbles and separate the fluffs of wool so that they resemble flowers.

Fluffed bobbles on the left and unfluffed bobbles on the right.

fluffing bobbles

fully fluffed bobble

Caring for your handwoven scarf:
Hand wash in a mild detergent and rinse. Roll in a towel to get out excess water and lay flat to dry. If you have added bobbles to your scarf, re-fluff after your scarf is dry.

Thank you for weaving with me!

Jodi Ybarra