Valley Yarns #151 Linked Bath Towel

Valley Yarns Linked Bath Towel

Project Overview

The Valley Yarns Linked Bath Towel is a woven homeware project designed by Scott Norris using an overshot weave structure. This downloadable PDF pattern produces a finished bath towel measuring 63 inches by 33½ inches, featuring a sophisticated striped design created through strategic color placement in the weft yarns.

Weave Structure and Technique

This project employs an overshot weave, a classic technique that creates textured patterns by floating weft yarns over multiple warp ends. The overshot structure allows the striped design to emerge through the interplay of solid-colored sections and patterned areas. The towel incorporates a central repeating pattern that is woven 11 times across the width, flanked by border sections that frame the design.

The weaving technique includes a plain weave hem section woven at the beginning of the project, which provides a finished edge and structural stability. The use of tabby picks—plain weave rows that alternate with pattern picks—helps secure the overshot floats and creates the characteristic texture of this weave structure.

Equipment Requirements

Weavers will need a 4-shaft loom with a minimum weaving width of 42 inches. The project requires 7 bobbins for weft color management and a minimum of 3 shuttles for efficient weaving. A 10-dent reed is specified for achieving the correct sett (yarn spacing). The loom must accommodate a 4-yard warp length.

Warp Specifications

The warp is composed of 20/2 Undyed Linen, a natural 100% linen yarn. The project requires 3,132 yards of warp yarn (equivalent to 2 tubes of 1,650 yards each). The warp consists of 783 ends set at 20 ends per inch (epi), achieved by threading 2 threads per dent in a 10-dent reed. The finished width in the reed is 39.15 inches, with floating selvedges on each side to create clean finished edges.

Weft Yarns and Color Palette

The weft utilizes Brassard 8/2 Cottolin, a blend of 60% organic cotton and 40% linen, providing both durability and absorbency appropriate for a bath towel. The color palette includes:

• Vieux Blue (#c0094) – 1,651 yards, used as a primary pattern color and doubled for certain pattern sections
• Blue Pale (#c0756) – 862 yards, used for hem weaving and stripe sections
• Noir (#c0083) – 814 yards, doubled for pattern threads
• Rose Pale (#c1768) – 97 yards, accent color for contrasting stripes
• Jaune Or (#c3161) – 87 yards, accent color for contrasting stripes
• Nil Green (#c1934) – 82 yards, accent color for contrasting stripes

The pattern calls for doubling certain weft yarns (Noir and Vieux Blue) by holding threads from both a ball and tube together while winding onto bobbins, creating thicker pattern floats that enhance the overshot texture.

Sett and Density

The towel is woven at a sett of 20 ends per inch in the warp and 20 pattern picks per inch, with an overall pick density of 40 picks per inch when including tabby picks. This balanced sett creates a fabric with good structure and absorbency suitable for bath towel use.

Weaving Process

The weaving begins with a 1½-inch plain weave hem using Blue Pale weft, which provides a finished edge and prevents raveling. The weaver then proceeds to the border sections and central pattern repeats, changing weft colors according to the draft to create the striped design. The pattern includes multiple contrasting stripe color combinations that are woven throughout the towel's length, creating visual interest and demonstrating the versatility of the overshot structure.

Finished Dimensions

The completed towel measures 63 inches in length and 33½ inches in width, providing generous coverage typical of a standard bath towel. The combination of linen warp and cotton-linen blend weft creates a durable, absorbent fabric suitable for regular use and washing.