Log Cabin Pattern with Painted Yarn
Log cabin is one of those magical color-and-weave effect patterns. Often a color-and-weave effect is an optical pattern. In Log Cabin, a simple plain weave structure creates a visual pattern by using alternating high contrast value colors (light and dark). The higher the value contrast, the stronger the visual pattern. Using black and white yarn will give you the strongest visual pattern, but as long as your colors are high enough contrast, you can experiment with a range of colors.
Quite a while ago (long enough that I didn't properly photograph the finished results!), I experimented with using a painted warp and hand-dyed weft to create a log cabin scarf.
At first I tried using Indiana Sunset painted warp as the DARK value, and white as the light value. In this example, I used Indiana Sunset as the dark value in the warp. In one scarf, I used Ruby as the dark value in the weft. In the other scarf, I used black as the dark weft.
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Black weft on the left; Ruby weft on the right. Two scarves woven from the same 6 yard Indiana Sunset warp. I changed the weft block sizes a little in the red scarf for a different visual effect. |
I wasn't so fond of these results. Apparently I moved on and never even bothered to even finish them! There's nothing wrong with them. I'm just not fond of the way it washed out the beautiful vibrant colors in the Indiana Sunset warp. If done with intent, I think this effect could be lovely, but for this warp I just wasn't that into it.
The next set I tried with the a Mardi Gras painted warp as the LIGHT value, and black as the dark value. In the weft, I used Sea Breeze, a pale blue color. This result I liked much better. You can both see the shifting colors in the painted warp, and the optical pattern, and one doesn't overwhelm the other. Well, I can tell you that anyway. Unfortunately, I made these scarves early in my business, and didn't bother to formerly photograph it before they were sold! (At least, I don't recall any other photos, I'll have to do some digging...)
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Recently off the loom and unfinished. Ignore the messy bed :) |
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I have this close-up of the scarf fringe for some reason. It leads me to believe I have a photo of the full scarf SOMEWHERE... |
Here are some ideas for color combinations for the Log Cabin pattern
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If you try any of these combinations, or some other combination of yarn, I would love to see it!
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Original scarf: Mardi Gras Warp and Midnight Black for the Warp; It might also be interesting to replace the Sea Breeze with Iris for the light weft color. |
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Idea 1: Autumn Fields Warp Auburn is not quite as dark as Midnight, so the visual effect might be more subtle. Autumn Fields Hand-Painted Warp | Midnight | Auburn | Spun Gold | Pesto | Desert Coral | Corn Silk | Undyed White
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Idea 2: Fall Maples Rainbow Warp Being that this is a rainbow warp, there's lots of options for a weft option depending on which color you want to lean most towards. You could always choose white, which might fade out the warp but would increase the visual effect. Fall Maples Rainbow Warp
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Idea 3: Indiana Sunset Warp I would love to try again with this warp as the light color rather than the dark color pictured above. I'd probably try one of these colors in the weft (if its a 6-yard warp or longer, you could experiment with a couple!) Indiana Sunset Hand-Painted Warp | Midnight | Very Berry | Scotch Heather | Apricot | Indiana Sunset Variegated
To get a copy of the pattern and for more information on yarn needed, click the button below:
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