Valley Yarns #187 Stonewashed Baby Blanket

Valley Yarns Stonewashed Baby Blanket

Project Overview

The Valley Yarns Stonewashed Baby Blanket is a woven baby blanket designed by Anita Thompson, featuring a sophisticated block houndstooth twill weave structure. This cozy blanket showcases the beautiful Porcelain Blue Stonewash colorway paired with crisp white, though the design coordinates beautifully with any color choice. The finished blanket measures 29" x 41", making it an ideal size for a baby blanket that works up efficiently on an 8-shaft loom.

What Is Being Made

This project creates a finished woven baby blanket using a block houndstooth twill weave structure. The blanket combines mercerized cotton yarns in two colorways—white and Porcelain Blue Stonewash—to create visual interest through color blocking and textural variation. The finished piece is a functional, soft blanket suitable for babies, with dimensions of 29 inches wide by 41 inches long.

Weaving Techniques Used

The primary weaving technique employed in this blanket is block houndstooth twill, a structured weave pattern that creates a distinctive textured appearance. The design uses striped color blocking throughout the warp and weft, alternating between white and Porcelain Blue Stonewash sections to build visual depth and pattern. The blanket incorporates a plain weave hem at the edges, woven with white cotton sewing thread for a finished, professional appearance. The weaving process includes floating selvedges on both sides to ensure clean, finished edges.

Weaving Structure and Specifications

This blanket is designed for an 8-shaft loom with a minimum weaving width of 36 inches. The warp consists of 626 ends set at 18 epi (ends per inch) using a 12-dent reed with a 1-2 threading pattern. The warp length is 2½ yards, and the finished width in the reed is 34¾ inches. The weft is beaten at 17-18 ppi (picks per inch), creating a balanced, stable fabric. The threading pattern repeats six times across the loom, with an additional white section repeat, and includes two floating selvedges for finished edges.

Materials: Yarns and Equipment

The blanket is woven entirely with Valley Yarns 5/2 Cotton, a 100% mercerized cotton yarn with a yardage of 2100 yards per pound. The warp requires 845 yards of white (#8001) and 720 yards of Porcelain Blue Stonewash (#2166). The weft calls for 476 yards of white and 408 yards of Porcelain Blue Stonewash. A 12-dent reed is used for the sett, and the project requires 2 shuttles and 2 bobbins for managing the two yarn colors during weaving. White cotton sewing thread is used for the inner hem.

Finishing Details

The blanket features a professional finished hem created by weaving a ½-inch section of plain weave with white cotton sewing thread for the inner hem layer. This is followed by 3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 treadling in 5/2 white cotton, which creates the hem section that will be turned under. This careful hem construction ensures a polished, durable edge that will withstand regular use and washing.

Design Characteristics

The block houndstooth twill structure creates a subtle, sophisticated texture that is both visually interesting and tactilely pleasant. The color blocking between white and Porcelain Blue Stonewash adds contemporary appeal while maintaining the versatility to coordinate with various nursery décors. The stonewash finish of the blue yarn provides a soft, slightly muted tone that pairs elegantly with crisp white, creating a balanced, modern aesthetic suitable for a baby blanket.