Buttermint Hand Towels

Patterns for the Buttermint Rigid-Heddle Loom Hand Towels Designed by Deborah Jarchow

aturated pastels highlight sweet Slines of lace in this set of five hand towels, each a slightly different variation on the same theme. Woven on a solid white warp using an absorbent unmercerized cotton, these towels will wear well even after multiple washings. Packaged with homemade buttermints or a jar of jam, they make a perfect gift!

Follow the stripe patterns exactly or design as you go. You will also learn the secrets to maintaining a straight fell line and hemming handwovens.

1 of 4 | Yarnworker | All rights reserved. © 2014 | Version 1, 2-2014 | $6.95 L @yarnworker C Yarnworker b yarnworker.blogspot.com yarnworker.com Directions Project Specs Dress the Loom Using your preferred warping method, warp the loom following the project specs. You will thread 2 warp ends through every slot and hole.

Getting Started Wind four shuttles, one with a single strand of each weft color. You will use more Natural than the other colors, so pack its shuttle generously.

Weave about 1" of scrap yarn to spread the warp. This creates a firm base to start your towel and creates an even fell line. See Tips & Tricks on page 6 for more information.

Beginning Each Towel Each towel will start the same way. Leave a tail 4 times the width of the warp Yarn 8/2 unmercerized cotton from Yarn Barn; 1 and weave 2 ⁄2" in the stripe pattern of your choice. 3,369 yd/lb; 100% cotton; shown in Natural (#0100) Turquoise (#1510), Salmon Secure the beginning of your project using the tail (#1317), and Rust (#1316) and the embroidery stitch over 4 threads, see Tips Tools Rigid-heddle loom with a 15" weaving & Tricks. These stitches will not be seen in the final width; 10-dent rigid heddle; 4 shuttles; pick-up project, but they will help keep the weft in place stick at least 15" long when you hem the towels. You can skip this step if you are machine hemming. Notions Coordinating sewing thread and needle; tapestry needle; steam iron; 2" cardboard spacer (optional)

Warp 1,450 yd Natural

Weft 494 yd Natural; 78 yd Turquoise; 140 yd Salmon; 293 yd Rust

Warp Ends 290

Warp Length 5 yd (includes a generous loom waste of 29")

1 Width In Reed 14 ⁄2"

EPI (Ends Per Inch) 20 (2 ends in every slot and every hole of a 10-dent rigid heddle) Shown here is the scrap yarn and embroidery stitch in place. Scrap yarn PPI (Picks Per Inch) Plain weave 16; leno 2 serves many purposes. It spreads the warp and makes sure that you start your weaving at full width. It helps you maintain a firm straight fell 29" line (see Tips & Tricks on page 6) and keeps the weft in place when you Woven Length remove the cloth from the loom. Stitching the weft in place is optional. The stitches give you an extra measure of security when hemming by 1 Finished Size Five 22" × 12 ⁄4" towels hand. If you are machine sewing your hems, you may not want the extra bulk of the stitches encased in the hem.

2 of 4 | Yarnworker | All rights reserved. © 2014 | Version 1, 2-2014 | $6.95 L @yarnworker C Yarnworker b yarnworker.blogspot.com yarnworker.com Pick Your Pattern See page 4 for the woven color order of each towel. You can follow these exactly or Hemming Handwovens play around with your own color and pattern com- binations. All weaving is plain weave unless noted.

1 Fold over the end of the fabric ⁄4", steam-press. Fold again and pin.

A variation of Towel One on the loom. The weave will be quite open as you work, but after finishing the fabric will be quite dense. Cut a length of thread 3 times the width of your towel. Thread the Ending Each Towel After weaving each towel, needle, then double the thread and knot the 2 ends together. Bring secure the weft with embroidery stitch. (Again, if your needle and thread up through the inside of one folded corner. Hide the knotted end in the seam. Sew the side of the hem you prefer to machine stitch the hems, you can skip together by catching the outside selvedges, starting on the same this step.) Insert the 2" cardboard spacer or weave in side each time. In this case, the needle will always enter the cloth 2" of scrap yarn between the towels. Begin your next from the right. towel as you did the first.

After you have woven a few inches you can remove the cardboard spacer and continue weaving your towel.

Wash Remove the cloth from the loom. Cut the towels apart. If heming by machine, sew each end Continue sewing the seam by catching one weft thread just under the fold and then one weft at the edge of the fold. Catch of each towel using the straight stitch. Trim any the same weft threads each time as you sew. weft joins to about 2" to keep them from tangling in the wash. Machine wash, regular cycle. Tumble dry.

1 Finishing Trim the fringe to ⁄4" from the embroidery stitch. Trim the weft tails at their base where they meet the cloth. Steam-press.

1 Sew the other side of the seam in place and then bury the thread Hem Fold each end over ⁄4", press. Fold over again in the seam by entering the needle at one corner and bringing it 1 ⁄2" so that the fringe is encased in a hem. Pin in out the stitched side of the seam. place and press again. (If using pins with plastic heads, avoid ironing the heads.) Whipstitch the 1 hem in place by hand or machine sew ⁄4" from the fold encasing the fringe using the straight stitch.

Deborah Jarchow teaches rigid- heddle weaving regularly at her studio Knot the thread at the base of the seam. Place the needle under and across the country. To see a class the hem and bring it out 2" away from the knot. Cut the thread where it exits the cloth. Using this method, your stitching will be schedule visit, deborahjarchow.com. barely visible and your hems secure!

Follow the color order listed below to weave the towels of your choice. See page 5 for Leno instructions.

Picks vs Inches A “pick” is one weft pass. You want to maintain a beat that gives you 16 picks of weft per 5 inch. For short repeats it is often 1 easier to think in terms of picks, whereas with long repeats it can 4 3 be easier to think in inches. 2 Here is a guide translating the pick measurement used here into inches: 1 3 picks = ⁄8" 1 8 picks = ⁄2" 16 picks = 1"

Towel 1 Towel 2 Towel 3 Towel 4

1 1 1 1 Natural 2 ⁄2" * Natural 2 ⁄2* Natural 2 ⁄2" * Salmon 2 ⁄2" * Rust 3 picks Rust 8 picks Natural 1 row leno Natural 8 picks Natural 3 picks Rust 1 row leno Natural 16 picks Natural 1 row leno Turquoise 3 picks Rust 8 picks Rust 16 picks Natural 8 picks 3 Natural 3 picks Turquoise 8 picks Rust 1 row leno Turquoise 1 ⁄4" Salmon 3 picks Turquoise 1 row leno Rust 16 picks Natural 8 picks Natural 2 picks Turquoise 8 picks Turquoise 16 picks Natural 1 row leno Natural 1 row leno Salmon 8 picks Turquoise 1 row leno Natural 8 picks 3 Natural 2 picks Salmon 1 row leno Turquoise 16 picks * Rust 1 ⁄4" Salmon 3 picks Salmon 8 picks* Salmon 11" Natural 8 picks Natural 3 picks Natural 15" Natural 1 row leno* Turquoise 3 picks Natural 9" Natural 3 picks Reverse the stripe Reverse the stripe Rust 3 picks order between * for the order between * for the Reverse the stripe Natural 3 picks remainder of the towel remainder of the towel order between * for the Natural 1 row leno* remainder of the towel 1 Natural 17 ⁄2" Towel 5 1 Rust 3 ⁄2" * Reverse the stripe Rust 1 row leno* order between * for the Rust 21" remainder of the towel Reverse the stripe order between * for the remainder of the towel

4 of 4 | Yarnworker | All rights reserved. © 2014 | Version 1, 2-2014 | $6.95 L @yarnworker C Yarnworker b yarnworker.blogspot.com yarnworker.com Leno There are a number of ways to create leno. This method is worked with the heddle in the up position and the selvedge end through a slot. The working yarn is shown here on the right. However, it doesn’t matter if your yarn is on the right side. You can work the pattern from either the right or the left. A 5-dent heddle and worsted-weight yarn in two colors is used in these instructions so that you can more easily see the worked yarn.

Step 1: With the heddle in the up position, Step 2: Use your index finger to push the Step 3: Insert the pick-up stick between the the yellow ends are down and the gray first raised gray end to the right and your 2 ends. The pick-up stick will keep the ends threads are up. Note that the gray end is to middle finger to pull the first lowered in a twisted position. the left of the yellow. yellow end to the left.

Steps 6 and 7: Lay the pick-up stick flat and use it to press the weft into place (top), then remove it from the warp. Place the heddle in the down position and continue weaving as instructed in the directions (bottom).

Step 4: Continue to work across the warp, Step 5: With the heddle in neutral, tip the pushing the top end to the right and pick-up stick on its edge to create a shed. twisting the bottom end to the left then Pass your shuttle through the shed, laying placing them on the pick-up stick. the weft in at a slight angle.

5 of 4 | Yarnworker | All rights reserved. © 2014 | Version 1, 2-2014 | $6.95 L @yarnworker C Yarnworker b yarnworker.blogspot.com yarnworker.com A Solid Start Here are a few tips to make sure you give your cloth a Tips good solid foundation on which to grow. & TRICKS

Embroidery Stitch A handy stitch to quickly secure the warp and get to weaving faster. This stitch can be worked from the left or from the right.

Using scrap yarn at the beginning of each weaving project spreads the warp evenly. More importantly, it gives you an even base on which to start your weaving, particularly for the rigid-heddle weaver. It also keeps your woven weft from moving as you start the first few inches of your project. Tension the yarn and place the needle under your desired number of ends—in this case 3. Because the rigid heddle isn’t fixed it can hit the fell line unevenly. The fell line is (The towels are worked over 4 ends.) the last laid pick in the cloth. It moves as your weaving grows. No matter how carefully you bring the rigid heddle to the fell line, most likely your nondominant hand will strike the fell first because you have less control with it. This is also part of the reason why your selvedges may look different even though you are essentially using the same technique on either side.

Forming the letter C, thread the needle over the bottom curve of the C to form a loop around the warp.

You may have observed in the past that when you bring your woven cloth over the front beam for the first time, the apron cords cause the fell line to dip at the places where the cloth is traveling over the cord. This may happen even if you are using packing paper.

To alleviate this problem, use a cardboard tube, such as you would find on a wrapping paper roll or paper towels. Cut open your tube. At just the point when Pull the loop tight and continue working in your apron rod is going to hit the woven cloth, use the tube to encase the entire this manner across the warp. Keep the yarn front beam including the apron rod and cords. This will create an even, cylindrical under tension at all times. surface on which to wind your woven cloth and keep the fell line from skewing!