Valley Yarns #299 Handy Hot Pockets

Valley Yarns Handy Hot Pockets: Advanced Weaving Project

What Is Being Made

The Handy Hot Pockets project, designed by Tammy Bast of The Rogue Weaver, creates three functional woven items: two hand warmers measuring 5.5" x 3.5" each and one neck warmer measuring 18" x 5.5". These are reusable hot packs designed to retain heat and provide portable warmth. The hand warmers can be filled with rice, buckwheat, or flax and carried for personal use, while the neck warmer serves as a companion piece for relaxation at home.

Weaving Structure and Techniques

This is an advanced weaving project that employs doubleweave with pick-up as its primary structure. Doubleweave creates two layers of fabric simultaneously on the loom, allowing for increased thickness and durability—essential qualities for items that will hold and distribute heat. The pick-up technique adds decorative patterning to the top layer of the fabric, creating visual interest while maintaining structural integrity.

The project requires sophisticated loom setup and manipulation. Weavers must use two rigid heddles plus three pick-up sticks to achieve the necessary sheds and pattern creation. The two heddles and two of the pick-up sticks work together to generate the four sheds required for the doubleweave structure, while the third pick-up stick is dedicated solely to creating the decorative pick-up pattern on the top layer. This multi-tool approach demands advanced understanding of loom mechanics and weaving theory.

Equipment Requirements

This project requires specialized weaving equipment. Weavers need a rigid heddle loom at least 10" wide with double heddle capabilities. The project calls for two 12-dent heddles, two shuttles for weft insertion, and three pick-up sticks for shed and pattern creation. Additional equipment includes four extra warping sticks, a funnel for filling the finished pockets, a sewing machine for assembly, and a darning needle for finishing work. Eight to ten cups of rice or alternative grains (buckwheat or flax) are needed as filling material.

Yarn and Materials

The project uses Valley Yarns Northfield for both warp and weft yarns. This premium yarn blend contains 70% Merino Wool, 20% Baby Alpaca, and 10% Silk, providing softness, warmth, and durability. The yarn is available at 124 yards per 50-gram ball. For the warp, the pattern calls for 115 yards of color #18 Pine Green and 115 yards of color #10 Seaspray. The weft requires 70 yards of Pine Green and 50 yards of Seaspray. The warp is set up at 24 ends per inch (12 per layer in the doubleweave structure), with a finished width in the reed of 6" and a warp length of 58" containing 144 ends total.

Sett and Finished Specifications

The project is woven at a sett of 24 epi (ends per inch), with 12 ends per layer to accommodate the doubleweave structure. The picks per inch (ppi) are set at 11, creating a balanced, durable fabric suitable for holding and retaining heat. The finished width in the reed is 6", and the total warp length is 58", producing enough fabric for all three finished items in a single weaving session.

Skill Level and Complexity

This is classified as an advanced project and is appropriate only for experienced weavers. The combination of doubleweave structure, multiple heddles, and pick-up patterning requires solid foundational knowledge of weaving mechanics, shed creation, and pattern manipulation. Weavers undertaking this project should be comfortable with direct warping, heddle management, and the coordination required to work with multiple tools simultaneously.