Valley Yarns #262 Block Placemats

Valley Yarns Block Placemats: Woven Homeware Design

What Is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Block Placemats are a set of four functional woven placemats designed by Merriel Miller. Each finished placemat measures 17.25" x 11.5" and combines aesthetic appeal with practical durability. Made from soft, durable cotton yarns in coordinating colors, these placemats are designed to withstand frequent laundering while maintaining their appearance and structural integrity at the dining table.

Weaving Structure and Techniques

This project uses a Modified Diversified Plain Weave structure, which creates visual interest through the strategic placement of different yarn weights and colors. The design incorporates striped patterns achieved through careful color ordering in both the warp and weft. The weaving technique requires a 4-shaft loom with a minimum weaving width of 24", allowing for the creation of multiple placemats from a single warp setup.

The warp is wound to a length of 2.5 yards with 373 total ends, creating a weaving width of approximately 20.75" in the reed. The sett (thread density) is set at 18 ends per inch, with a pick density of 17–18 picks per inch, ensuring a balanced, durable fabric suitable for table linens.

Yarns and Materials

This pattern uses Valley Yarns cotton in two weights to create textural and visual variation:

• Valley Yarns 8/2 Cotton: 100% Unmercerized Cotton for warp in Ink Blue (630 yards) and 100% Cotton for weft in Silver Birch (345 yards) and Ink Blue (112 yards). This yarn yields 3,360 yards per pound and is sold on 1-pound cones.
• Valley Yarns 3/2 Cotton: 100% Mercerized Cotton for warp in Ink Blue (303 yards) and for weft in Silver Birch (175 yards). This yarn yields 1,260 yards per pound and is sold on 1-pound cones.

The color palette features Ink Blue (#2625) and Silver Birch (#8418), creating a sophisticated, coordinated appearance. The combination of unmercerized and mercerized cotton provides both matte and subtle sheen qualities in the finished fabric.

Equipment and Setup

Weavers will need a 4-shaft loom with a minimum weaving width of 24 inches to accommodate the full width of the warp. The project requires a 12-dent reed for proper sett control, along with 2 shuttles and 3 bobbins for managing the weft colors and weights efficiently during weaving.

The threading follows a specific draft pattern that must be centered for a final weaving width of 20.75". Weavers should note that the actual Ink Blue and Silver Birch yarns in both weights appear nearly identical in color; the pattern charts use distinctly different hues to clarify which yarn weight is used in each position.

Pattern Characteristics

The striped design emerges from the warp color order, which alternates between Ink Blue in both 8/2 and 3/2 weights. The weft introduces Silver Birch as an accent color, creating subtle visual contrast. This combination of stripe techniques and yarn weight variation produces a sophisticated, multi-dimensional surface that enhances the visual appeal of the finished placemats while maintaining their functional purpose.