Garden Party Towels - Color Contrast with Variegated Yarns

Garden Party Towels - Color Contrast with Variegated Yarns

Exploring Color Contrast with Variegated Yarns

Weaving is such a beautiful way to bring color into your home. There’s always something exciting about playing a variety of yarn colors and textures to create unique patterns and effects. I’m thrilled to share a fun weaving technique that brings color contrast into your projects, using variegated yarns!

Garden Party Towels in color Sunset

Why Use Variegated Yarns?

You might wonder—why choose variegated yarns for your weaving project? The answer lies in the visual interest they bring to otherwise simple designs. Plain weave structures (also called tabby) are the most straightforward and accessible weave structure, which means they can be a great base for experimenting with different yarn types and colors. Plain weave is also a weave structure that everyone can enjoy.

Variegated yarns like Bamboo Pop have colors that shift along the length of the yarn. When woven into plain weave, these color shifts create beautiful stripes and subtle patterns without the need for complex weave structures. This allows you to add tons of character to your towels without diving into complicated techniques. Bamboo Pop, in particular, has a smooth texture and a range of lovely colorways, and it pairs wonderfully with other yarns, including our Organic 5/3 Cotton.

The Beauty of Mixing Bamboo Pop and Organic 5/3 Cotton

I love the combination of Organic 5/3 Cotton and Bamboo Pop yarns. This blend of cotton and bamboo creates the perfect balance of durability and softness, making it ideal for woven towels that are absorbent, soft, and beautiful. The contrast between the natural organic cotton and the rich, variegated hues of the Bamboo Pop really makes for a standout project.

Bamboo Pop: Perfect for Color and Texture

Bamboo Pop is a delight to weave with. The yarn has a soft sheen, thanks to the bamboo fibers, and its variegated colors add depth and energy to any project. It mixes beautifully, adding a pop of color to otherwise neutral designs. Weaving with Bamboo Pop at 10 ends per inch (epi) results in a nice, durable fabric that still retains its softness—ideal for towels that will see lots of use and washing.

Now, let’s jump right in!

I’ve created a pattern that’s designed for weavers working on either a rigid heddle loom or a multi-shaft loom. You’ll be weaving oversized towels that are not only soft and absorbent but also visually striking thanks to the interplay of the variegated Bamboo Pop yarns.

The design is simple and works well with a plain weave structure. It’s the perfect project for trying out variegated yarns in weaving. Bamboo Pop’s changing colors will create a lively, ever-changing fabric, while the organic cotton’s natural color balances it out for a grounded look.

Ready to Get Weaving?

• Gather your supplies: We've supplied a pattern in this blog to help you get started. The pattern will give you the yarn amounts, weaving width, suggested sett and finishing techniques to weave two towels. You will need Bamboo Pop in the color of your choice, along with Organic 5/3 Cotton and Aurora Earth 8/2 Cotton for weaving the hems.

• We make it easy!  Our Garden Party Towel Kits make gathering your supplies easy. These kits include all the yarns you'll need to weave two towels. Choose from the many irresistible color options that we offer!

• Join the Cotton Clouds Weaving Community on Facebook so that you can share your questions, pictures and accomplishments. 

• Let's Weave together!  I'm here for you every step of the way! Just send me an email to jodi@cottonclouds.com if any questions come up as you are weaving this fun project.

Happy weaving and enjoy the process of bringing color into your home with these beautiful yarns!

Experience the joy of weaving these spring-themed towels in bamboo and cotton! 

Order Your Garden Party Towel Kit Today!

Download Your Free Garden Party Towel Pattern!

Thank you for weaving with Cotton Clouds! 

Jodi Ybarra
Cotton Clouds, Inc

© 2025 Cotton Clouds. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced without prior written permission of Cotton Clouds Inc.

All yarns for this design are available from Cotton Clouds Inc. If you have any questions while weaving this pattern, don’t hesitate to send an email to jodi@cottonclouds.com and I will guide you along the way! You may sell products using my patterns but please credit Cotton Clouds for the design.