Deep End Towels

A deeply saturated center block of color in these towels recalled childhood memories of spending summers at my grandparent’s house, standing on the diving board of their pool and thinking it was so deep, it must go to the center of the earth.

You can download an updated version of this pattern and purchase a kit here. 

Designed by Christine Jablonski for GIST: Yarn & Fiber

Need some help getting started? Check out Resources for Beginner and Intermediate Weavers

Materials 

Warp & Weft:3 tubes of 8/4 Un-Mercerized Brassard Cotton (1/2 lb cones, 1,680 yd/lb)

Project Notes

• Tools Required: Rigid heddle loom at least 24" wide, or 2-4 shaft table or floor loom,  12 or 12.5 dent reed, boat shuttle & bobbin or stick shuttle
  
• EPI: 12 
  
• PPI: ~12
  
• Width at Reed: 23.75"
  
• Warp Ends: 296
  
• Warp Length: 3.5 yards (126"), includes 34.5" of weaving per towel plus 22.5” for loom waste and approximately 16-18% for take-up and shrinkage
  
• Draft: Tabby (plain weave)               
• Total warp yarn used: ~1036 yards
• Total weft yarn used: ~748 yards
• Woven Length: (measured under tension on the loom) ~34.5 per towel
• Finished Dimensions: 3 towels that measure ~20" W x 28" L each after washing and hemming
• Finishing Details: Hand sewn rolled hem         
  
• Care Instructions: Machine wash cold, air dry or tumble dry low, press as needed

Instructions

• Color A = 8/4 Un-Mercerized Brassard Cotton in Periwinkle
• Color B = 8/4 Un-Mercerized Brassard Cotton in Royal Blue
• Color C = 8/4 Un-Mercerized Brassard Cotton in Navy

1. Warp the loom using your preferred method (direct or indirect) with a total of 280 warp ends, 3.5 yards long, following the warp color order below. Center for a weaving width of 23.75" and sley 1 end per hole and slot in a 12 dent heddle on a rigid heddle loom. If you are using a multi-shaft loom, thread for plain weave and sley 1 end per dent in a 12 dent reed. 

2. Begin and end each towel by weaving with 1” of sewing thread (for a less bulky hem). Weave following the color order below. Each towel should measure approximately 34.5” long in loom (32.5” of 8/4 cotton weft, 1” of thread hem at each end). Weave with scrap yarn for a few picks in between each towel. 

• Color A for 3.25”
• Color B for 6.5” 
• Color C for 13”
• Color B for 6.5”
• Color A for 3.25”

3. Cut the fabric off the loom and zig zag the raw edges. Machine wash cold and air dry (or tumble dry low if preferred). Cut the towels apart at scrap yarn maker. Press and finish with a hand sewn rolled hem. 

About Christine Jablonski

In addition to being GIST's Operations Manager and Wholesale Director, Christine is a weaver and exhibiting fiber artist. She scampered down the rabbit hole of rigid heddle weaving several years ago as a way to use up her knitting stash and never looked back. In addition to very practical cloth woven to adorn home and body (tea towels are her favorite home linen projects to weave), Christine also weaves conceptual works that explore themes of mood and memory, strength and fragility, and often reflect on the current political and ecological landscape. Her work is held in private collections across the country and is shown regionally in New England galleries. To see more of Christine's work, check out her Instagram.