Weaving with Mallo Cotton!
Posted by Jodi Ybarra on
November Cotton Clouds Yarn Exploration
Featuring Mallo Cotton
When it comes to weaving, the right yarn can make all the difference. Mallo Cotton is a unique yarn that transforms even the simplest plain weave into stunning, woven fabric, perfect for clothing, accessories, and of course absorbent kitchen towels. Let’s dive into what makes Mallo Cotton an essential addition to your textile designs.
A Textural Delight
Mallo Cotton boasts a thick-and-thin structure that adds depth and character to your creations. This intriguing texture enhances plain weave designs, turning them into interesting fabrics. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned weaver, the versatility of Mallo allows for endless creativity, even when working with basic patterns.
Quick Weaving
Slightly thicker than many traditional weaving yarns, Mallo Cotton is designed for efficiency. It weaves up quickly on both rigid heddle and multi-shaft looms, making it perfect for those who want to see results fast.
Perfectly Pairs with Other Yarns
One of the standout features of Mallo Cotton is how well it mixes with other cotton yarns. Its unique texture and thickness create a beautiful contrast when combined with smoother yarns, adding dimension and interest to your projects. Experimenting with blends can result in truly unique fabrics that showcase your creativity and style. We love Mallo mixed with Aurora Earth and Caterpillar Cottons!
Ideal for Everyday Use
Not only is Mallo beautiful, but it’s also functional. Its sturdy yet soft texture makes it an excellent choice for practical items like towels, napkins, and washcloths. Plus, it’s lightweight enough for wraps and accessories such as scarves and shawls.
Easy Care for Busy Lives
Caring for your Mallo creations is a breeze. Simply machine wash and dry, ensuring that your beautiful fabrics remain as vibrant as the day you made them.
Made in the USA
Supporting local industries is important, and Mallo Cotton is proudly made in the USA. This commitment to quality and ethical sourcing ensures that you’re working with a product that meets high standards.
Why Cotton Clouds Loves Mallo Cotton
Mallo Cotton is more than just a yarn; it’s a canvas for creativity. Its unique texture, quick-weaving capability, and versatility make it an ideal choice for a wide range of projects. Whether you’re crafting something for everyday use or a special gift, Mallo Cotton will help you create pieces that are as beautiful as they are functional. Dive into your next weaving adventure with Mallo Cotton and experience the benefits of quality for yourself!
Let's Get Weaving!
Now that you know a little about Mallo Cotton, I'd like to share a new project with this wonderfully textured yarn. Let's weave something that is perfect for the season and your Thanksgiving festivities. These Corn Maze Towels are sure to please!
- Gather your supplies ~ We've supplied the pattern in this blog to help you get started. You can weave a set of Corn Maze Towels with the pattern supplied in this blog. The pattern supplies the weaving width, suggested sett and finishing techniques along with the yarn specifications and the yardage amounts needed.
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We make it easy! Our Corn Maze Towel Kit makes gathering your supplies easy. This kit includes all the yarns needed to weave either two or four towels on either a rigid heddle or multi-shaft loom. The pattern below is for rigid heddle weavers. Click on the link at the end of this blog for a PDF of both rigid heddle and multi-shaft instructions.
- Join our Cotton Clouds Weaving Group 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 these Corn Maze Towels!
Corn Maze Towels
Weave structure: plain weave
Equipment needed: Rigid heddle loom; 20.6” weaving width; 10 dent reed; 4 shuttles
Makes Two TowelsWarp Yarns: Aurora Earth Gold 550 yds, Aurora Earth Plum Green 470 yds, and Caterpillar Cotton Citrus 110 yds.
Weft Yarns: Mallo Honey 170 yds, Mallo Lichen 170 yds, Caterpillar Cotton Citrus 90 yds, and Aurora Earth Gold 80 yds.
Makes Four Towels
Warp Yarns: Aurora Earth Gold 920 yds, Aurora Earth Plum Green 790 yds, and Caterpillar Cotton Citrus 180 yds.
Weft Yarns: Mallo Honey 340 yds, Mallo Lichen 340 yds, Caterpillar Cotton Citrus 170 yds, and Aurora Earth Gold 150 yds.
(Extra yardage is calculated in these amounts.)
Total warp ends: 206 (94 gold doubled ends, 80 plum green doubled ends, 32 citrus single ends)
Warp length: 2 ¾ yards (99”) to make two towels; 4 ¾ yards (171”) to make four towels.
Total warp ends: 206 (94 gold doubled ends, 80 plum green doubled ends, 32 citrus single ends)
Warp length: 2 ¾ yards (99”) to make two towels; 4 ¾ yards (171”) to make four towels.
Setts: 10 (doubled Aurora Earth and single Caterpillar Cotton in slots and holes); 10-11 ppi single Mallo and Caterpillar Cotton
Finished size: each towel 17” x 26” hemmed.
Other supplies: matching sewing thread for hems
Warping the Loom
Set up your loom to direct warp a length of 2 ¾ yards (99”) to make two towels or 4 ¾ yards (171”) to make four towels. The numbers in the chart equal how many threads to warp. One pass to the warping peg equals two threads.
The Aurora Earth threads will be two in a slot and two in a hole. The Caterpillar Cotton will only be threaded in the slots.
Start with six slots and six holes Gold. (4 + 20 threads)
The next slot will be threaded with Caterpillar Cotton. Skip the next hole. (2 threads)
Five slots and five holes with Plum Green. (20 threads)
The next slot will be threaded with Caterpillar Cotton. Skip the next hole. (2 threads)
***Five slots and five holes Gold. (20 threads)
The next slot will be threaded with Caterpillar Cotton. Skip the next hole. (2 threads)
Five slots and five holes with Plum Green. (20 threads)
***The next slot will be threaded with Caterpillar Cotton. Skip the next hole. (2 threads)
Repeat from *** to *** 7 more times.
Finish with 22 threads Gold in six slots and six holes.
There will be 9 gold blocks and 8 plum green blocks with Caterpillar Cotton between each block of solid color.
Sleying the Reed
Wind the warp onto the back beam. Transfer one of the Caterpillar Cotton threads into the adjacent empty holes. Tie the yarns in small sections onto the front beam and tighten your warp.
Preparing the Shuttles
The weft yarns will wound on your shuttles single strand. Wind one shuttle with Mallo Honey, second shuttle with Mallo Lichen, third shuttle with Caterpillar Cotton Citrus, and fourth shuttle with Aurora Earth Gold. All shuttles will be wound single strand. The Aurora Earth Gold will only be used for weaving the hems.
Weaving
Weave with scrap yarn to spread the warp evenly.
With single strand Aurora Earth Gold weave 2” for hem.
Weave in plain weave alternating the shuttles following the weft sequence.
10 picks Honey (yellow)
2 picks Citrus - Caterpillar Cotton
10 picks Lichen (green)
2 picks Citrus - Caterpillar Cotton
Repeat 12 times finishing with 10 picks (yellow)
There will be 13 Honey blocks and 12 Lichen blocks per towel.
Finish with single strand Aurora Earth Gold weaving 2” for hem.
Separate the towels with a few rows of a contrasting color then start next towel. When you have finished weaving your towels, weave a few rows with scrap yarn before cutting yarns off loom.
Tip for weaving with three shuttles:
We will be tucking in the tails as we change colors. The split ply method doesn’t work for the yarns we will be using because they are single ply yarns.
Start shuttle with Honey on the right-hand side leaving a 3” tail. Change sheds and tuck in the tail.
Weave 10 picks Honey, cut and tuck in the tail.
Change to shuttle with Caterpillar Cotton. Starting on the right-side weave two picks Caterpillar Cotton tucking in tails.
Start shuttle with Lichen on the left-hand side leaving a 3” tail. Change sheds and tuck in the tail.
Weave 10 picks Lichen, cut and tuck in the tail.
Change to shuttle with Caterpillar Cotton. Starting shuttle on the left-hand side, weave two picks Caterpillar Cotton tucking in tails.
By alternating the shuttles, you will keep one side from becoming bulkier than the other side.
Leave about 1” of the tails sticking up rather than trimming flush with the woven fabric. You can trim off all the tails after wet finishing.
Finishing and Hemming
Remove the towels from the loom and sew a zig zag stitch across each end before cutting apart.
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 if needed.
Towels will relax with more washes.
Download Your Free Corn Maze Towels Pattern for Rigid Heddle and 4-Shaft Weaving.
I hope you enjoy weaving your Corn Maze Towels with Mallo Cotton!
Thank you for weaving with Cotton Clouds!
Jodi Ybarra
Cotton Clouds, Inc
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