Blueberry Waffle Towels

The raised cells that give waffle weave its name aren’t just attractive—they increase the towels’ surface area (making for a more absorbent cloth) and the pockets create more air flow (which helps the towels dry faster).

About this Project

Designer Claudia Tokola badly needed new kitchen towels, but she had a few conditions: She wanted something that would absorb lots of water, hold up to years of washing, and have colors that coordinate with her kitchen. Waffle weave was the perfect solution! She selected soft and absorbent unmercerized cotton for her towels, using several blue yarns—including a variegated one—combined with white to create two warps for three new towels. For a neat finish, she used floating selvedges, and reduced bulk in the hems by using sewing thread as weft and hemming by hand.

Contents

• Blueberry Waffle Towels Project Instructions PDF
• Towel WIFs (2)

Details

Structure
Waffle weave.

Equipment
7-shaft loom, 22" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 1 shuttle; 4 bobbins.

Yarns
Warp: Plaid towel: 8/2 cotton (3,360 yd/lb; Maurice Brassard; Yarn Barn of Kansas), #4271 Jeans, 336 yd; #112 Slate, 168 yd; #101 White, 382 yd. Striped/variegated towels: 8/2 cotton, #101 White, 1,392 yd.
Weft: Weft: Plaid towel: 8/2 cotton, #4271 Jeans, 187 yd; #112 Slate, 94 yd; #101 White, 202 yd. Striped/variegated towels: 8/2 cotton, #4271 Jeans, #112 Slate, and #101 White, 118 yd each. 8/2 space-dyed cotton (3,360 yd/lb; Maurice Brassard; Lunatic Fringe Yarns), #9836 Blue Jay, 570 yd.

Dimensions
Width in the reed: 21²⁄₁₂".
Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) plaid towel, 34"; striped/variegated towels, 68".
Finished size: (after wet-finishing and hemming) up to three towels, each 15" × 20".

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