Valley Yarns #92 Textured Towels

Valley Yarns Textured Towels

Project Overview

The Valley Yarns Textured Towels are handwoven dish towels designed by Patricia Gonet for Rigid Heddle weavers. This downloadable PDF pattern (Draft #92) provides complete instructions for creating colorful plaid towels with exceptional texture and visual appeal. The finished towels measure 18" x 24½" each, making them ideal gifts for housewarmings, weddings, showers, and hostess occasions. The pattern yields two complete towels from a single warp setup.

Weaving Technique and Structure

This project employs a textured weave structure using two heddles on a Rigid Heddle loom, which is the defining characteristic that creates the distinctive textured appearance. The dual-heddle approach allows weavers to work with both fine yarn and generate complex surface texture simultaneously. This technique requires a Rigid Heddle loom at least 20" wide with blocks or slots capable of accommodating a second heddle. The sett is 20 ends per inch (epi), achieved by using two 10-dent heddles working in tandem.

The weaving structure creates a plaid pattern through strategic color placement in both warp and weft. The indirect warping method is employed, meaning the warp is measured on a warping board before being threaded onto the loom. This approach provides precision and allows weavers to plan the color sequence carefully before beginning the weaving process.

Stitches and Weaving Elements

While traditional stitching terminology does not apply to weaving, this project utilizes fundamental weaving principles executed through the two-heddle system. The alternating heddle positions create the textured surface by varying which threads are raised and lowered during each pass of the shuttle. The color order in both warp and weft contributes to the plaid visual effect, with specific yarn quantities allocated to create balanced color distribution across the finished towels.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The pattern calls for Valley Yarns 8/2 Unmercerized Cotton, a 100% cotton yarn available in multiple colors. The yardage specifications for two complete towels are:

• Warp yarns: Natural #8176 (732 yards), Orange #4425 (162 yards), Lollipop #3599 (153 yards), and Baked Clay #7285 (132 yards)
• Weft yarns: Natural #8176 (386 yards), Orange #4425 (90 yards), Lollipop #3599 (72 yards), and Baked Clay #7285 (74 yards)

The pattern notes that Baked Clay #7285 has been discontinued; Madder Brown #7382 is recommended as a substitute. The 8/2 cotton yarn provides 3360 yards per pound and offers an extensive range of colors suitable for matching various kitchen décor styles.

Equipment Requirements

Successful completion of this project requires specific equipment:

• Rigid Heddle loom, minimum 20" width with provisions for dual heddle positioning
• Two 10-dent heddles
• Four shuttles for efficient color changes and weft management
• Warping board for measuring the 3-yard warp (395 ends total)

Warp Setup and Dimensions

The warp measures 19¾" x 3 yards and contains 395 ends total. The color order follows a specific sequence incorporating Natural, Orange, Lollipop, and Brown tones in a carefully planned arrangement. The three-yard warp length provides sufficient material for two finished towels plus an additional 12" for practice sampling, allowing weavers to test their technique before committing to the final pieces.

Threading begins with the front heddle (Heddle 1) following the provided color order sequence, with subsequent instructions for positioning the second heddle to create the textured effect. The indirect warping method used in this pattern requires careful attention to thread placement to ensure proper color alignment and weave structure integrity.