Valley Yarns #213 Sunny Skies Towels

Valley Yarns Sunny Skies Towels – Weaving Pattern Summary

Project Overview

The Sunny Skies Towels (Draft #213) is a weaving pattern designed by Anita Thompson that produces three finished towels measuring 18" x 25" each. This homeware project showcases the beautiful characteristics of Valley Yarns' variegated 8/2 cotton, combining rich color variation with sophisticated weave structure to create functional, decorative towels suitable for kitchen or bath use.

Weave Structure & Techniques

This pattern employs Block Twill with False Damask weave structure, a sophisticated technique that creates visual interest through contrasting block patterns. The twill blocks gradually change size across the towel width, beginning small at the selvedges and expanding toward the center. This graduated effect, combined with the false damask tie-up, creates dynamic texture and allows the variegation in the warp yarn to display prominently. The use of two shuttles enables efficient color changes between the pale yellow and turquoise blue weft yarns.

Equipment Requirements

This pattern requires an 8-shaft loom with a minimum weaving width of 24 inches. Weavers will need 2 shuttles and 2 bobbins to manage the two weft colors. Yellow cotton sewing thread is specified for finishing the inner hem of the completed towels.

Yarn Materials & Specifications

Warp Yarns

• Valley Yarns 8/2 Cotton Variegated (100% Unmercerized cotton, 3360 yards per pound, sold on 1 lb cones) – Color #9368 Citrine: 1169 yards
• Valley Yarns 8/2 Cotton (100% Unmercerized cotton, 3360 yards per pound, sold on 1 lb cones) – Color #2194 Turquoise Blue (formerly Algiers Blue): 448 yards

Weft Yarns

• Valley Yarns 8/2 Cotton – Color #1171 Pale Yellow: 1048 yards
• Valley Yarns 8/2 Cotton – Color #2194 Turquoise Blue (formerly Algiers Blue): 121 yards

Warp Setup & Specifications

The pattern calls for a 3.5-yard warp of 462 ends (including 2 floating selvedges), which produces three finished towels. The warp is threaded following the provided threading draft with specific heddle counts distributed across the 8 shafts. Warp and weft spacing is set at 22.5 epi (ends per inch), which can be achieved using either a 10-dent reed with a 2-2-2-3 threading pattern or a 15-dent reed with a 1-2 threading pattern. The width in the reed measures 20.5 inches, producing finished towels of 18 inches wide by 25 inches long.

Weaving Process Notes

After dressing the loom and tying onto the front apron rod, weavers should use treadles 9 and 10 to weave several picks of plain weave to properly spread the warp before beginning the main pattern. The color order chart and threading draft provided in the pattern guide the placement of the variegated Citrine and Turquoise Blue warp ends to achieve the intended graduated block effect.

Design Inspiration

Designer Anita Thompson created this pattern specifically to showcase the variegated 8/2 cotton in the Citrine colorway. The turquoise blue accent color was selected to enhance and complement the warm, multi-toned Citrine variegation. The combination of twill blocks with the false damask tie-up structure allows the color variation to display beautifully across the finished towel surface, creating both visual and textural interest in a practical homeware item.