Valley Yarns #68 Goose Eye Dishtowels

Valley Yarns Goose Eye Dishtowels

Project Overview

The Goose Eye Dishtowels are a woven homeware project designed by Barbara Elkins for weavers seeking an accessible yet visually striking dishtowel fabric. This pattern produces four finished towels from a single warp, each measuring 18 inches wide by 26 inches long, making it an efficient use of materials and loom time. The design combines ease of execution with effective visual impact through its characteristic goose eye pattern, a classic weaving motif that creates texture and visual interest without requiring advanced techniques.

Weaving Techniques

This project employs striped weaving as its primary technique, using a color-blocked warp arrangement to establish the visual foundation. The pattern utilizes a goose eye treadling sequence, a traditional weaving pattern that creates a distinctive geometric texture. The weaving process itself is straightforward, requiring weavers to follow the goose eye treadling pattern consistently while maintaining an even beat throughout the project. The technique begins with plain weave for hem allowance, transitions into the goose eye pattern for the main towel body, and concludes with additional plain weave for finishing.

Stitches and Pattern Structure

The project relies on plain weave for the hem sections and as a foundational weaving structure, combined with the goose eye pattern for the decorative main body. The threading follows a structured repeat: the A to B threading is repeated 26 times to create 416 ends, then balanced with C to D threading for 15 ends. This creates a balanced, symmetrical pattern across the fabric width. The treadling pattern is repeated to the desired towel length, with the final unit balanced to maintain pattern integrity before the finishing hem.

Materials and Specifications

The Goose Eye Dishtowels are woven using Valley Yarns 8/2 cotton, a medium-weight cotton yarn ideal for absorbent, durable kitchen textiles. The warp consists of 1,730 yards of Sage Green (#5680) and 430 yards of White (#8001), while the weft uses 1,600 yards of White (#8001) throughout. The project requires a 4-shaft loom with a minimum weaving width of 22 inches, a 10-dent reed, one boat shuttle with bobbin, and an optional temple. The sett is 20 ends per inch, with a total of 433 warp ends including floating selvages. The width in reed measures 21.65 inches, and the total warp length of 5 yards accommodates four complete towels with appropriate hem allowance.

Finishing Process

Completion of the Goose Eye Dishtowels involves several finishing steps to achieve professional results. After removing the fabric from the loom, stay stitch both ends and the areas between towels on both sides of the hem allowance to prevent fraying. Cut the towels apart carefully along the plain weave sections woven between each towel. Hand wash the towels lightly using Eucalan or another quality washing product, then remove excess water and dry flat or over a rod. For the hems, fold and press the entire hem fabric, then fold the raw edge up into the hem, press, pin, and complete either by hand or machine stitching. The pattern notes that hand hemming produces superior aesthetic results. After hemming is complete, machine wash on the gentle cycle with a small amount of detergent and machine dry on medium or low heat.

Weaving Parameters

• Loom requirement: 4-shaft loom with minimum 22-inch weaving width
• Reed: 10-dent
• Sett: 20 ends per inch
• Beat: 20 or 21 picks per inch for even fabric
• Total warp ends: 433, including floating selvages
• Width in reed: 21.65 inches
• Finished towel dimensions: 18 inches wide by 26 inches long per towel
• Warp length: 5 yards total for four towels

Yarn Requirements Summary

• Warp: Valley Yarns 8/2 cotton in Sage Green (#5680) at 1,730 yards and White (#8001) at 430 yards
• Weft: Valley Yarns 8/2 cotton in White (#8001) at 1,600 yards
• Yarn specification: 3,360 yards per pound