Weaving a Handwoven Tartan Scarf on a Rigid Heddle loom

Emma and Gillian
4 days ago
3 min read

Using a rigid heddle loom to weave a Tartan scarf

Tartan may look complex, but even as a new weaver, with a TabbyandTweed rigid heddle loom, a bit of planning, and some patience it is absolutely possible to weave a beautiful handwoven Tartan scarf.

The magic of Tartan lies in the colour sequencing and once you have understood and planned your pattern the weaving is straightforward. In this blog we walk you through the steps to weave your own handwoven Tartan scarf using our latest rigid heddle weaving loom kit.

Red and black checkered scarf draped around a mannequin with a wooden neck knob, set against a plain gray background. — Handwoven Tartan British wool scarf

The kit to weave this tartan scarf is available in our website shop as a weaving kit with a rigid heddle loom included or as a scarf weaving kit for someone who already has their own rigid heddle loom. Click here to explore rigid heddle weaving loom kits.

Knitting kit with red, black, and gray yarn, wooden loom, plaid fabric, and patterns on a table. Text "Tabby and Tweed" visible. — TabbyandTweed rigid heddle loom Tartan scarf weaving kit

Choosing the colours for a Tartan handwoven scarf

For our latest Tartan scarf design we wanted to weave in traditional colours so chose the main colour to be red with navy and a flash of silver grey. We designed our scarf to be woven with DK British wool. We selected to use our TabbyandTweed rigid heddle loom with an 8epi heddle.

Red, grey, and navy yarn skeins next to a weaving pattern paper titled "Navy and Red Tartan Scarf" in a bright setting.

Designing the Tartan Pattern for the handwoven scarf

Tartan is defined by the thread counts, or the number of warp and weft threads for each colour of the sequence. A Tartan pattern has a design which replicates the pattern across the warp with the pattern being the same when weaving the weft to create a symmetrical plaid pattern.

Red and black plaid fabric on a wooden loom, with visible text "TabbyandTweed." Yarn spools in the background, on a wooden surface. — Weaving a Tartan scarf on a TabbyandTweed rigid heddle loom

Warping the loom for the weaving of a handwoven Tartan scarf

Using the chosen pattern the loom is warped across the loom making sure that the correct number of warp threads for each colour were used. Once the warp is measured using the direct warping method the warp is wound onto the back beam.

Hands weaving red and black yarn on a wooden loom. One hand holds a green tool. Text on loom reads "TabbyandTweed." Warm setting. — Using a threading hook to thread the heddle

If you are looking for support to warp and prepare a rigid heddle loom ready for weaving then you might find our TabbyandTweed YouTube tutorial helpful: Click here for TabbyandTweed rigid heddle weaving loom set up tutorial.

A hand adjusts red, black, and gray threads on a small wooden loom, set on a light wooden table with a tiled floor background. — Winding the warp onto the back beam of a TabbyandTweed rigid heddle loom

Weaving the handwoven British wool Tartan scarf

Tartan requires the same sequence in the warp as in the weft creating the iconic Tartan grid. It is important that the weaving creates a balanced weave where in any square area there are the same number of warp and weft threads. So, it is necessary to maintain a consistent tension and to beat at the correct level so that the pattern is woven correctly. Where an area of the pattern should be a square then check that it looks like a square. If it looks like a rectangle then adjust your beating until they align and the square is achieved.

It is important that a neat selvedge is achieved so the edges of the scarf are crisp and neat. Our blog '7 practical steps for a perfect selvedge' might be useful if you want to improve your weaving to create neat edges: Click here for blog: 7 tips for a perfect selvedge.

Red and black plaid fabric being woven on a loom, with red yarn and spools in the foreground. The setting is calm and focused. — Neat selvedge on a TabbyandTweed rigid heddle loom

Finishing the handwoven Tartan scarf

Once the scarf length has be woven leave around 20cm for the final fringe and remove the woven fabric from the loom.

Red and black plaid fabric on a wooden loom, with gray and red yarn nearby, in a crafting setting. Cozy and creative mood. — Taking the handwoven scarf off the TabbyandTweed rigid heddle loom

Knot the fringes at each end and wash the scarf by hand in hand hot water with a degree of agitation. Rince and dry naturally. Once dry the scarf can be ironed and the fringes cut neatly.

Enjoy your handwoven Tartan scarf

You now have a cosy Tartan scarf woven by you. Wear your scarf with pride, it is a traditional design which will look stylish and timeless.

Red and black plaid scarf draped on a mannequin against a gray background. The scarf features a classic checkered pattern. — Handwoven Tartan scarf

Tartan weaving on a rigid heddle loom is a satisfying project that combines colourwork, structure and tradition, once you master one pattern, countless others await!

Weaving Kits are available in our TabbyandTweed website shop for UK and USA delivery and our TabbyandTweed Etsy shop for delivery elsewhere.

Interested in learning to weave? Then our workshop page has all the details found by clicking the link here.

If you are interested in keeping up to date with our weaving work then do sign up to receive our newsletter by clicking the link here.