Valley Yarns #270 Lemon Lime Twist Napkins

Valley Yarns Lemon Lime Twist Napkins

What Is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Lemon Lime Twist Napkins project produces a set of four finished napkins using a color-and-weave technique. Each napkin measures approximately 14.5" x 13.25" when complete. This homeware weaving project demonstrates how the same weave structure can create four distinctly different visual appearances through strategic manipulation of yarn colors during the weaving process.

Weaving Technique

This project employs color-and-weave as its primary technique, a method that creates visual variety and pattern interest by alternating yarn colors in both the warp and weft while maintaining an identical weave structure across all four napkins. Designed by Tammy Bast of The Rogue Weaver, the color-and-weave approach allows weavers to explore how different color combinations and placements transform the appearance of napkins despite using the same underlying weave structure. This technique is particularly effective for creating coordinated homeware pieces that appear unique while sharing construction fundamentals.

Weave Structure and Sett

The napkins are woven using a color-and-weave weave structure on a rigid heddle loom. The project specifies a sett of 12 ends per inch (epi) with approximately 11 picks per inch (ppi). The warp is set up at a length of 100" using a 12-dent heddle, creating a weaving width of 17.8" in the reed. The warp consists of 214 ends total, distributed across six distinct sections with carefully planned color placement to achieve the desired visual effects in the finished napkins.

Yarn and Materials

All yarn for this project comes from Valley Yarns 5/2 Cotton, a 100% mercerized cotton yarn with a yardage of 2,100 yards per pound, sold on 1 lb cones. Three colors are used throughout the project:

• #5211 Lime Green: 101 yards for warp, 141 yards for weft
• #6186 Azalea Pink: 258 yards for warp, 145 yards for weft
• #1205 Banana: 241 yards for warp, 137 yards for weft

The mercerized cotton construction ensures durability and a refined finish appropriate for napkin homeware. The project requires a rigid heddle loom 20" wide, a 12-dent heddle, and 3 shuttles for managing the multiple yarn colors during weaving.

Color Placement and Warp Organization

The warp is organized into six distinct sections, each with a specific color sequence that determines the final appearance of the napkins. The color key identifies three colors as A (Azalea), B (Banana), and L (Lime). Each section repeats a particular color pattern multiple times across the warp:

• Section 1: Alternates single slots of Lime with groups of three slots each of Azalea and Banana
• Section 2: Repeats a four-slot pattern of Azalea, Banana, Azalea, and Lime
• Section 3: Repeats a pattern of two Azalea slots, one Banana slot, and one Lime slot
• Section 4: Features two slots of Lime
• Section 5: Repeats a four-slot pattern of Banana, Azalea, and Lime
• Section 6: Continues the color organization pattern

This careful warp arrangement, combined with corresponding weft color choices, creates the four distinct napkins that appear visually different despite sharing the same weave structure.

Equipment Requirements

Weavers will need a rigid heddle loom 20" wide to accommodate the 17.8" weaving width. A 12-dent heddle is essential for achieving the specified 12 epi sett. The project requires three shuttles to manage the three different yarn colors efficiently during the weaving process, allowing weavers to maintain the color sequences without excessive yarn tangling or tension issues.