Weaving Yarn

Choose your weaving yarn for the fabric you want to make, then check the draft, recommended sett, and yardage before ordering. A cone keeps yarn ready to feed as you work, but cone weights and lengths vary by product.

Choose cotton for towels and everyday table linens

For soft, absorbent dish towels, start with Valley Yarns 8/2 Cotton. This unmercerized cotton is also suited to placemats and table linens. Mercerized Valley Cotton 3/2 and 5/2 offer a smoother, lustrous finish for blankets, runners, and other woven projects.

Choose other fibers for texture and drape

Valley Yarns 8/2 Tencel brings drape and sheen to woven fabric. Explore linen for a different texture, silk for a lustrous finish, or wool for warm projects. Follow the individual yarn's care instructions and wash a sample before committing to the full warp.

Plan warp and weft separately

Warp is held under tension on the loom; weft travels across it. Select a warp yarn suited to your loom and draft rather than assuming every cone yarn will behave the same way. To estimate warp yardage, multiply the number of warp ends by the length of each end in yards, allowing for take-up, shrinkage, sampling, and loom waste. Work out weft needs from the draft or a woven sample; there is no single warp-to-weft yardage ratio for every fabric.

Need a project to start from? Browse weaving drafts and match the specified yarn, sett, and loom requirements before choosing colors.

Weaving yarn FAQ

Which weaving yarn should I choose for dish towels?

Unmercerized cotton is a useful starting point for absorbent towels. Valley Yarns 8/2 Cotton is designed for dish towels and table linens, and customer reviews repeatedly mention softness, absorbency, and long-term towel use. Mercerized cotton is another option when you prefer sheen. Weave and wash a sample to compare the finished feel.

Can I use the same yarn for warp and weft?

Often, but check the yarn and draft first. The warp needs to tolerate tension and abrasion as you weave. Cotton is a common choice for both directions, while a textured or delicate yarn may be better suited to weft. Customer reviews of Valley Yarns 8/2 Cotton and 6/2 Unmercerized Cotton describe using them successfully for warp.

What do 3/2, 5/2, and 8/2 mean?

These are yarn counts, not knitting needle sizes. In the cotton count system, the first number describes the size of the individual strand and the second is the number of plies. With the same fiber, count system, and ply number, a higher first number means a finer yarn: 5/2 cotton is finer than 3/2 cotton. Do not compare counts across different systems without checking the product's yardage and recommended sett.

Can I use these yarns on a rigid heddle loom?

Match the yarn and draft to your heddle and intended fabric. Customers describe weaving towels with Valley Yarns cotton on rigid heddle looms, but finer yarns may need a different threading approach or more than one heddle. Check the draft's equipment and ends-per-inch requirements, and sample before winding a full warp.

How much yarn is on a cone, and can I buy a wind-off?

Check each product's stated weight, yardage, and sales unit. Some cones have variable weights, so one cone is not a fixed length across the collection. If length is listed per pound, multiply by the cone weight in pounds to estimate its yardage. Weaving yarns are sold by the cone or by the pound as specified on the product page; wind-off service is not available.