November Weaving Challenge: Houndstooth and More Color Play!

Houndstooth and More Color Play!

This month we are going to focus on weaving houndstooth with a bit of color play!

We had so much fun in October with our "Playing with Color Challenge" that I wasn't quite ready to move on to something completely new.

I wanted to bring a new technique to the table, but still have lots of color in our project.  I also wanted to keep things easy, because that's how I like weaving to be.  Easy and quick so that you can relax, have fun, and fit all of your weaving projects into your schedule.

With all this in mind, I decided that a Houndstooth design would be the perfect idea!  Houndstooth is easy to warp and easy to weave.  

Creating Houndstooth is simple, warp slot and hole with natural, then slot and hole with color.  You will do the same in the weft, starting with two picks of color, then two picks of natural.  This will produce little checks of the houndstooth design.

Lots of you have probably already tried this technique, so I decided to go a step further and add color play in the mix.  I choose fall colors because this is my favorite time of year when the mornings feel crisp, the leaves are changing, and holidays are approaching.  We are also offering two more color combinations to choose from in our Houndstooth and More Color Play Kit!  

There are lots of checks, stripes and color play in this project!  You will be delighted to see how colors blend forming both checks and stripes throughout the entire project.

Let's Weave Houndstooth!

• Gather your supplies ~ We've supplied a pattern in this blog for inspiration. You can also download this pattern as a PDF on our Cotton Clouds Rigid Heddle Weaving Facebook Group.  Just click on Files at the top of the group page and you will be able to retrieve your PDF to print.

• I've chosen fall colors in natural, orange, gold, chocolate and light brown, but we would love to see your own unique color selections too.  Our goal is to see as many different color combinations as possible! 

• You can weave our "Houndstooth and More Color Play Towels"
  from the pattern below in the colors we've chosen, or you can choose your own color pallet.  You will need your base color (natural) and four coordinating colors.  

• We have our Houndstooth and More Color Play Towels project available as a kit in three color options if you'd like to weave the towels shown in this blog or you can use your own yarn supply.  There are no rules, just have fun choosing and mixing colors in the Houndstooth technique.  We can't wait to be inspired by all of your Houndstooth creations.   

• Join our Cotton Clouds Rigid Heddle Weaving Group on Facebook so that we can share our questions, pictures and accomplishments.

• One weaver will be selected for the month of November to win a Houndstooth and More Towel Kit from this Houndstooth Weaving Challenge!  To be eligible for the November Houndstooth Challenge just post photos of your weaving project on our Cotton Clouds Rigid Heddle Weaving Group on Facebook. We can't wait to see what you will be weaving!

• Save $10 for the month of November when ordering this project as a kit!

• You can find this pattern as a PDF on our Cotton Clouds Rigid Heddle Weaving Group on Facebook.  Click on Files at the top of this page to get your free pattern download.

• Let's get our looms warped and weave together!  I'm here for you every step of the way!  

 

Autumn Leaves Towels Pattern

Weave structure:  Houndstooth

Equipment needed:  Rigid Heddle Loom (2-shaft); 22.8” weaving width; 10 dent reed; 4 shuttles

Warp Yarns: Aurora Earth 8/2 Cotton (base color and four coordinating colors)
Natural (base color) 627 yds, Orange (color A) 154 yds, Gold (color B) 154 yds, Chocolate (color C) 154 yds, Light Brown (color D) 154 yds.

Weft Yarns: Aurora Earth 8/2 Cotton (base color and four coordinating colors)
Natural (base color) 470 yds, Orange (color A) 100 yds, Gold (color B) 100 yds, Chocolate (color C) 100 yds, Light Brown (color D) 100 yds.

Total warp ends: 228 (456 threads)

Warp length: 2 ¾ yards two towels

Setts: 10 epi (doubled in slots and holes); 10 ppi (double strand)

Finished Dimensions: two towels 19” x 27” each hemmed

Other supplies: matching sewing thread for hems

Available as a kit from Cotton Clouds, Inc.

Step 1:  Warping the Loom
Set up your loom to direct warp a length of 2 ¾ yards. The warp threads are doubled warping four threads in each slot.  As you move across the reed you will thread four natural threads in a slot then four colored threads in the next slot.  We will be changing colors after every 14 repeats.

Warp Order:
Four threads Natural (base color) in a slot
Four threads Orange (color A) in a slot
Repeat 14 times

Four threads Natural (base color) in a slot
Four threads Gold (color B) in a slot
Repeat 14 times

Four threads Natural (base color) in a slot
Four threads Chocolate (color C)  in a slot
Repeat 14 times
 
Four threads Natural (base color) in last slot
Four threads Light Brown (color D) in a slot
Repeat 14 times

End with four threads Natural (base color)

Step 2:  Sleying the Reed
Wind the warp onto the back beam and transfer two of the threads from each slot into the holes. You will now have two threads in each slot and two in each hole.  Tie the yarns in small sections onto the front beam and tighten your warp.

 

Step 3:  Preparing the Shuttles
Wind each shuttle double strand with base color and all four colors, and one more shuttle single strand base color for hems.

 

 

Step 4:  Weaving
Weave with scrap yarn to spread the warp evenly. 
With single strand Natural (base color) weave 1½” for hem.
 
The weft order will be the same as the warp order alternating two picks color then two picks natural.
 
Each color block will measure approximately 7 ½” and will include 19 repeats of color and natural.

Weft Order:
Two picks Orange (color A)
Two picks Natural (base color)
Repeat 19 times

Two picks Gold (color B)
Two picks Natural (base color)
Repeat 19 times

Two picks Chocolate (color C)
Two picks Natural (base color)
Repeat 19 times

Two picks Light Brown (color D)
Two picks Natural (base color)
Repeat 19 times

Finish with 1½” single strand Natural (base color) for hem.

Weave a few picks of scrap yarn or use a cardboard spacer and continue the next towel the same as the first.  When you have finished weaving your towels, weave a few rows with scrap yarn before cutting yarns off loom.

Step 5:  Finishing and Hemming
Remove the towels from the loom and sew a straight stitch across each end with sewing thread before cutting apart.  Using a hot iron, fold each hem over twice to get a nice flat edge.  Sew a straight stitch across securing each hem.  Machine wash in cool water and dry on normal in machine dryer.  Press with a warm iron if needed.  Towels will relax with more washes.

Enjoy or Gift Your Towels!
I hope you enjoy weaving these Autumn Leaves Towels.  I encourage you to weave some in your favorite colors!

Happy weaving! 

Jodi Ybarra