Valley Yarns #285 Winter Berry Towels

Valley Yarns Winter Berry Towels

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Winter Berry Towels are a set of two woven kitchen or bath towels inspired by the rich, juicy colors of berry desserts. Designed by Yvonne Ellsworth, these towels feature a color and weave structure that creates visual interest through the combination of natural and variegated berry-toned yarns. Each finished towel measures 18.5 inches wide by 23 inches long, making them practical yet decorative additions to any home.

Weaving Techniques

This project uses a color and weave technique to create the striped pattern effect. The design employs a systematic approach to warp and weft color placement, where doubled yarn strands are treated as single units throughout the pattern. The weaver winds the warp using a direct warping method, setting up 240 doubled ends (480 actual ends total) for a weaving width of 20 inches in the reed.

The towels are woven on a rigid heddle loom that is at least 20 inches wide. The weaving process requires careful management of two shuttles and two bobbins (or double bobbin shuttles with four bobbins total) to alternate between the Natural and Mixed Berry colored yarns. The warp length is 2.3 yards (82 inches), and the finished towels are created as a pair from a single warp setup.

Weaving Specifications and Stitches

The towels are woven using a plain weave structure with specific technical parameters. The sett (warp density) is 24 ends per inch, achieved by threading 2 ends in each dent of a 12-dent reed. The picks per inch (ppi) is 24, created by weaving 12 doubled picks per inch. This balanced sett and pick count creates a sturdy, absorbent fabric suitable for towel use.

The warp color order follows a specific pattern using doubled ends:

• 16 doubled ends of Natural
• 16 doubled ends of Natural
• 2 doubled ends of Natural
• 22 doubled ends of Natural
• 24 doubled ends of Natural
• 2 doubled ends of Natural
• 22 doubled ends of Mixed Berry
• 20 doubled ends of Mixed Berry
• 2 doubled ends of Mixed Berry

This color order is repeated across the warp to build the full 480-end setup, creating the striped visual effect when combined with the weft color variations.

Materials: Yarn and Equipment

Warp Yarn: The project uses Valley Yarns 8/2 Valley Cotton in two colorways. The Natural color (#8176) requires 712 yards, while the Mixed Berry variegated color (#9767) requires 384 yards. Both yarns are 100% unmercerized cotton with a yardage of 3360 yards per pound, sold on 1-pound cones.

Weft Yarn: The same two Valley Yarns 8/2 cotton yarns are used for the weft. Natural (#8176) requires 499 yards, and Mixed Berry (#9767) requires 352 yards for the completed pair of towels.

Equipment Required: Weavers will need a rigid heddle loom at least 20 inches wide, a 12-dent reed, two shuttles, and either two bobbins or two double bobbin shuttles with four bobbins total to manage the alternating yarn colors. Fray check is recommended to finish the edges and prevent fraying after weaving is complete.

The 100% cotton construction makes these towels highly absorbent and durable, suitable for regular use and washing. The unmercerized cotton provides a soft, natural texture that improves with use and laundering.