Valley Yarns 40th Anniversary 05 Foxhead Dish Towels

Valley Yarns 40th Anniversary Foxhead Dish Towels

What Is Being Made

The Valley Yarns 40th Anniversary Foxhead Dish Towels are handwoven homeware pieces designed by Scott Norris. These are functional kitchen towels created using a delicate overshot weaving pattern, combining fine linen yarns in natural and half-bleach colorways. The project produces two finished towels from a single warp, with each towel measuring 17½" x 27¼" after washing and hemming.

Weaving Techniques

This project employs overshot weaving, a classic technique that creates decorative pattern effects by floating supplementary weft threads over the base plain weave structure. The towels feature striped patterns created through the interplay of tabby (plain weave) and patterned weft.

The weaving process involves two distinct phases: a plain weave header section woven to establish proper tension and practice, followed by the overshot pattern work. Weavers are instructed to maintain consistent rhythm by weaving tabby picks from alternating directions—tabby picks 1 and 3 from the left, and tabby picks 2 and 4 from the right—to ensure even, balanced weaving throughout the project.

Weaving Structure and Setts

The towels are woven on a 4-shaft loom with a 22-inch weaving width, using a 12-dent reed. The warp is set at 30 ends per inch (epi), achieved by threading 2 or 3 ends in each dent depending on position. The weft density is approximately 24-26 picks per inch (ppi) for both tabby and pattern weft.

The warp consists of 603 ends (including 2 floating selvedges for finished edges) measuring 3 yards in length, providing sufficient material for two complete towels with one yard of additional warp length per additional towel desired. The loom setup requires 2 shuttles and 4 bobbins to manage the alternating tabby and pattern weft threads.

Materials and Yarns

This project showcases the qualities of fine linen, which Scott Norris notes requires care in handling but rewards the weaver with beautiful results. The yarn specifications are precise:

• Warp yarn: Valley Yarns 40/2 linen in natural colorway (6,000 yards per pound), totaling 1,809 yards
• Tabby weft (Towel #1): Valley Yarns 40/2 linen in natural (535 yards) and half bleach (480 yards)
• Pattern weft (Towel #1): Valley Yarns 20/2 linen in natural (248 yards) and half bleach (194 yards)
• Tabby weft (Towel #2): Valley Yarns 40/2 linen in natural (280 yards) and half bleach (248 yards)
• Pattern weft (Towel #2): Valley Yarns 20/2 linen in natural (248 yards) and half bleach (194 yards)

The use of two different linen weights creates visual and textural interest: the finer 40/2 linen serves as both warp and tabby weft for a smooth base, while the slightly heavier 20/2 linen is reserved for the pattern weft, allowing the overshot design to stand out prominently against the plain weave ground.

Finishing and Care

The finished towels are hemmed and measure 17½" x 27¼" after washing, which accounts for linen's natural shrinkage and relaxation during the finishing process. The combination of natural and half-bleach linen creates a subtle color variation that enhances the striped overshot pattern while maintaining the practical, absorbent qualities essential for kitchen towels.