Weaving with Duet Cotton/Linen

December Cotton Clouds Yarn Exploration 

Featuring Duet Cotton/Linen

Duet Cotton/Linen

If you appreciate the joy of creating with natural fibers, Duet yarn is a must-try. Combining the ease and softness of cotton with the elegant sheen and durability of linen, Duet offers a unique weaving experience.

Whether you're a seasoned weaver or just starting, this versatile yarn is perfect for creating everything from delicate scarves to durable kitchen towels.

Let's dive into what makes Duet yarn special and how you can use it to enhance your weaving projects.

Why is Duet so Unique?

Duet yarn is a beautiful blend of 55% European tow linen and 45% US cotton, making it a thoughtfully crafted yarn that brings together the best of both fibers.

The cotton component provides a soft and smooth texture, while the linen brings a subtle sheen and strength to the yarn. The linen also contributes a slight marbling effect, adding depth and complexity to your finished pieces.

Manufactured in North Carolina, Duet is made with careful attention to quality and sustainability. The yarn is available in 4 oz cones, each offering 600 yards of weaving potential. Its size is comparable to 5/2 linen, with a yardage of 2,390 yards per pound, making it perfect for a range of weaving projects.

Why Weave with Duet Yarn?

Duet combines the smooth, easy-to-work-with characteristics of cotton with the refined, lustrous qualities of linen. This combination results in a yarn that is not only visually stunning but also a delight to weave with.

The linen content in Duet adds a unique touch to your projects. It creates a subtle tonal effect in the yarn, giving your finished fabric a beautiful, marbled visual element.

It's particularly well-suited for light-weight fabrics. The light yet durable composition makes it ideal for creating breezy, breathable scarves and shawls that are perfect for warmer weather. The strength of the linen also makes it a great choice for kitchen towels, heirloom-quality linens, and dining cloths that improve with age and use.

Versatility Across Loom Types

Whether you're working on a multi-shaft loom or a rigid heddle loom, Duet yarn offers versatility and ease. It’s buttery and smooth to work with on a multi-shaft loom, and it’s also a wonderful introduction to linen for rigid heddle weavers. Duet works beautifully as both warp and weft.

Mixes Well with Others

Duet Cotton/Linen blends beautifully with other yarns, such as Aurora Earth 8/2 Cottons, allowing you to create even more diverse and textured fabric designs.

Tips for Weaving with Duet Yarn

• Suggested EPI (Ends Per Inch): For both rigid heddle and multi-shaft looms, Duet yarn works best with a range of 12-18 EPI. Be sure to adjust according to your project and the texture you want to achieve.

• Care Instructions: Duet yarn is easy to care for. You can hand or machine wash it in cool water, and it can be tumble dried on low heat or air-dried for the best results. Its durability ensures it will retain its beauty and functionality over time, even with regular washing.

• Play with Color: Duet yarn comes in a range of beautiful colors that highlight its unique linen and cotton blend. Whether you’re creating a neutral kitchen towel or a vibrant scarf, Duet offers colorways that will complement any project.

Vintage Gift Bags

Let's Weave with Duet Cotton/Linen!

Now that you're familiar with Duet Cotton/Linen, I'm excited to share a new project using this beautiful, naturally blended yarn. Let’s weave something perfect for the holiday season!

These Vintage Gift Bags are the ideal way to present a special gift this holiday — thoughtful, elegant, and just the right touch of festive charm!

• Gather your supplies ~ We've supplied the pattern in this blog to help you get started. You can choose to weave gift bags, hand towels, or runners with the pattern in this blog. The pattern supplies the weaving width, suggested sett and finishing techniques along with the yarn specifications and the yardage amounts needed. Click on the link at the end of this blog for a PDF of both rigid heddle and multi-shaft instructions.

• We make it easy!  Our Vintage Gift Bag kits make gathering your supplies easy. These kits are available in two colorways and includes all the yarns needed to weave either two gift bags, four hand towels, or two runners, on either a rigid heddle or multi-shaft loom. Order your kit today!

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

• Let's Weave together!  I'm here for you every step of the way!  You can contact me by email at jodi@cottonclouds.com if you have any questions about weaving this Vintage Gift Bag project.

Vintage Gift Bag Pattern

Weave Structure:  plain weave

Equipment needed:  rigid heddle or 4-shaft loom; 14.8” weaving width; 10 dent reed; 1 shuttle.

Warp Yarns: Aurora Earth 8/2 Cottons.

Weft Yarn: Duet 55% linen and 45% cotton.

Total warp ends: 148 (296 threads)

Setts: 10 epi (doubled threads in each slot and hole); 12 ppi (single thread)

Warp Length:  3 yards (108”)

Other supplies needed: matching sewing thread for hemming, four 40” lengths of 3/8” cotton twill ribbon if making two tote bags, one safety pin for threading your draw string through the hems. (cotton twill ribbon and safety pin included in kit)

Finished Dimensions: 84” of woven length. You can make two gift bags, four hand towels, or 2 runners. 

Rigid Heddle Instructions

Warping the Loom for Cranberry Pines

Set up your loom to direct warp a length of 3 yards (99”). Warp two threads in each slot and two in each hole following the warp order chart.  The numbers in the chart represent how many threads. One pass to the warping peg equals two threads.

Example for one repeat.
16 threads Polo Tan (four slots and four holes)
2 threads Beige (one slot)
2 threads Polo Tan (one hole)
16 threads Wine (four slots and four holes)
2 threads Polo Tan (one slot)
2 threads Beige (one hole)
16 threads Polo Tan (four slots and four holes)
2 threads Beige (one slot)
2 threads Polo Tan (one hole)
16 threads Dark Green (four slots and four holes)
2 threads Polo Tan (one slot)

Warping the Loom for Winter Nights

Set up your loom to direct warp a length of 3 yards (99”). Warp two threads in each slot and two in each hole following the warp order chart.  The numbers in the chart represent how many threads. One pass to the warping peg equals two threads.

Example for one repeat.
16 threads Polo Tan (four slots and four holes)
2 threads Beige (one slot)
2 threads Polo Tan (one hole)
16 threads Dark Navy (four slots and four holes)
2 threads Polo Tan (one slot)
2 threads Beige (one hole)
16 threads Polo Tan (four slots and four holes)
2 threads Beige (one slot)
2 threads Polo Tan (one hole)
16 threads Royal Blue (four slots and four holes)
2 threads Polo Tan (one slot)
2 threads Beige (one hole)

Sleying the Reed

Wind the warp onto the back beam and tie the yarns in small sections onto the front beam.

Tighten your warp for an even tension.

Preparing the Shuttles

Wind your shuttle with Duet in color Marble.

Weaving

Weave with scrap yarn to spread the warp evenly. 

The entire length will be woven in plain weave with Duet. Check to make sure you are getting about 12 picks per inch. 

When you have reached the end of your warp, weave a few picks with scrap yarn before cutting your woven fabric off of the loom.

Sewing for Gift Bags

Measure out 40” for each bag and sew a zig zag stitch at each end before cutting your fabric into two pieces. (see arrows)

Using an iron with steam, fold down each end of your fabric ½”. Sew a straight stitch across each of these folds. This will secure your woven ends and hide the messy warp threads.

The next folded hem will be the opening for your draw strings.

Fold down each end of your fabric 1 ¼ ” and sew across.

Now that you have hemmed each end of your bag, fold in half with right sides facing and pin each side.

Sew a straight stitch up both pinned sides, stopping at the hemmed areas. Make sure to leave the hemmed areas open for your draw strings.

Using a safety pin, pull the first 40” piece of cotton twill ribbon through the hem opening on one side of the bag and then around through the second side. Do the same for the second piece of cotton twill ribbon going the opposite direction.

Tie a knot at the ends of your draw strings.

Your draw string bag is finished!

 Vintage Hand Towels or Runners

Finishing techniques for hand towels or runners

Measure out for four towels and sew a zig zag stitch at each end. (see arrows)

Hemming

Using an iron with steam, fold each hem over twice to get a nice flat edge. 

Sew a straight stitch across securing each hem. 

Machine wash and dry on normal. 

Press with a warm iron. 

4-Shaft Instructions

Winding the Warp
Wind a warp of 296 threads following the Warp Color Order Chart (see charts for either Cranberry Pine or Winter Nights).

A floating selvedge is not required with plain weave but can be added if desired.

Dressing the Loom
Dress your loom using your preferred method (front to back or back to front).
Sley the reed with two threads per dent in a 10-dent reed to achieve 10 epi. Thread the heddles in a repeat of 1, 2, 3, 4, with one thread in each heddle.

Winding the Bobbins
Wind a bobbin with Duet which will be used for the entire length of your weaving.

Weaving and Finishing

Follow the instructions given on the previous page for two bags, four hand towels, or two runners.

Download Your Free Vintage Gift Bag Pattern for Rigid Heddle and 4-Shaft Weaving.

I hope you enjoy weaving these Vintage Gift Bags, Towels, or Runners with the unique blend of cotton and linen, Duet!

Thank you for weaving with Cotton Clouds! 

Jodi Ybarra
Cotton Clouds, Inc

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