Valley Yarns #244 Box Me Up Towels

Valley Yarns Box Me Up Towels

Project Overview

The Box Me Up Towels are a pair of woven homeware pieces designed by Yvonne Ellsworth for Valley Yarns. This downloadable weaving pattern creates two finished towels measuring 17" x 21.5" each (after hemming). The design is inspired by holiday gift boxes wrapped with contrasting threads, making these towels both functional and decorative pieces suitable as gifts or personal use.

Weave Structure and Techniques

This project uses plain weave, the most fundamental weaving structure, executed with doubled threads throughout both warp and weft. The pattern features striped coloring created through a carefully planned color order in the warp and weft yarns. The stripe pattern mimics the appearance of wrapped boxes by alternating between burgundy and white threads in a specific sequence.

The warp is set at approximately 12.5 ends per inch (epi) using a 10-dent reed with a threading pattern of 2-1-1-1, meaning threads are placed in holes and slots of the heddle in this repeating sequence. The finished piece is hemmed after weaving to achieve the final dimensions.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

This project requires Valley Yarns 5/2 Valley Cotton Stonewash and Valley Yarns 5/2 Cotton, both 100% mercerized cotton yarns. Mercerization is a chemical treatment that enhances cotton's luster, strength, and dye absorption, making these yarns ideal for towel weaving.

• Warp Yarn: Valley Yarns 5/2 Valley Cotton Stonewash #3794 Burgundy Stonewash (360 yards) and Valley Yarns 5/2 Cotton #8001 White (245 yards)
• Weft Yarn: Valley Yarns 5/2 Valley Cotton Stonewash #3794 Burgundy Stonewash (260 yards) and Valley Yarns 5/2 Cotton #8001 White (160 yards)

Both yarn lines are sold on 1-pound cones with a yardage of 2100 yards per pound, providing excellent value for larger projects. The total warp length required is 86 inches with 252 ends across a 20-inch weaving width.

Equipment and Tools

Weavers will need a rigid heddle loom at least 20 inches wide to accommodate the full weaving width. A 10-dent reed (10 dents per inch) is essential for achieving the correct sett. The pattern recommends having 2 shuttles for efficient color changes, with a double-bobbin boat shuttle noted as particularly useful though not strictly necessary. Additional supplies include 1-3 bobbins for yarn management and fray check to secure thread ends.

Weaving Specifications

The warp length of 86 inches allows adequate space for loom waste and finishing. The sett of 12.5 epi combined with 12 picks per inch (ppi) creates a balanced plain weave fabric with good structure suitable for towel use. The color order follows a repeating pattern of 2 White, 2 Burgundy, skip a slot, 2 White, 2 Burgundy, with this sequence repeated 25 times across the loom to create the striped box-like appearance.

Note: This pattern is distributed by WEBS and is intended for personal use only.