A-Mazing Possibilities ~ Weaving With Caterpillar Cotton!
Posted by Jodi Ybarra on
We Love Weaving With Caterpillar Cottons!
This month in our Cotton Clouds Yarn Exploration I want to share the very special yarn, Caterpillar Variegated Cotton!
It's so soft and lofty with a touch of twist that's created by a very thin binder yarn wrapped around a loosely spun cotton. It's just the right amount of subtle texture that makes a fabric that is thick, absorbent, strong, durable, and absolutely luscious!
Caterpillar Cotton comes in 8 different variegated combinations plus a solid natural. Use it alone or in combination with any solid color cottons. It mixes so well with our Aurora Earth 8/2, Cotton Tail 8/4, Organic 5/3 Cotton, and Monte Cristo Boucle, just to name a few.
Planning a Project:
When I'm ready for my next weaving project, I first think of what I want to weave. Do I want to make towels, a scarf, a table runner or placemats? Maybe a shawl to drape over my shoulders when the days are a bit chilly?
Then once I have the project in mind, I choose what yarns will be best for this idea. Most often, and I must say that 98% of the time, my choice is cotton. After all my profile name on social media is cotton_weaver.
Here are some reasons I choose cotton for weaving.
- Comfort: Cotton is incredibly comfortable to wear.
- Softness: The cotton plant is naturally soft and fluffy and cotton fabric retains that soft feel.
- All Natural: 100% cotton yarns are spun from cotton fibers right from the cotton plant with no synthetic materials mixed in.
- Absorbent: Cotton is absorbent and can wick moisture from the skin.
- Durable: Cotton is strong, and actually gets stronger when wet. Helping your clothes last longer, which makes cotton perfect for clothing and towels.
- Easy Care: Cotton’s strength when wet means you can let the washing machine do the hard work and not have to worry about wear and tear.
Let's Weave With Caterpillar Cotton!
For this month's project I've chosen Caterpillar Cotton and Aurora Earth 8/2 Cotton. These are two great choices that work perfectly together for the project I have in mind.
As I was sampling for this month's project, I had a hard time deciding on what my fabric would become. Everyone who knows me, knows that I weave a LOT of towels. Most weavers agree, they are useful in our everyday life, they make wonderful gifts, and they are easy to make with any size loom.
So, as I sat down to write the pattern and make the charts and weaving drafts, I decided that I wanted to make extra large towels, but also design a pattern that could easily be adjusted for any size loom. That way everyone can join the fun no matter what size or kind of loom they have.
Then as I took the woven fabric off the loom, I realized that this would also make a wonderful shawl. I went back to my desk to figure out a way that we could have more than just the one option for this design.
I'm so excited to share this A-Mazing Possibilities project which can be one large bath towel, two oversized kitchen towels, or one cozy shawl!
A-Mazing Possibilities
Bath Towel ~ Kitchen Towels ~ Shawl
Weave structure: plain weave houndstooth
Equipment needed: Rigid heddle or 4-shaft loom; 23” weaving width; 10 dent reed; 3 shuttles. You can weave these on a rigid heddle loom in plain weave or on a 4-shaft loom in tabby. (The weaving width can be adjusted for any size loom by reducing the number of repeats in the warp order chart.)
Yarns: Aurora Earth 8/2 unmercerized 100% cotton; Caterpillar Cotton
Warp: Aurora Earth 700 yds, Caterpillar Cotton 320 yds
Weft: Aurora Earth 530 yds, Caterpillar Cotton 270 yds
Total warp ends: 230
Warp length: 2 ¾ yards (99”)
Setts: 10 epi; 10 ppi (Aurora Earth doubled and Caterpillar Cotton single)
Finished Dimensions: one large bath towel 18.5" x 56" hemmed, or two kitchen towels 18.5" x 28" hemmed, or one shawl 18.5" x 64" with 4" fringe.
Available as a kit from Cotton Clouds, with eight color options to choose from.
Rigid Heddle Instructions
Warping the Loom
Set up your loom to direct warp a length of 2 ¾ yards (99”).
Warp a 23” weaving width following the warp order diagram.
Aurora Earth ends in this chart will be doubled and will the threaded four threads per slot.
Caterpillar Cotton ends are single and will be threaded two threads per slot.
Alternate one slot Aurora Earth then one slot Caterpillar Cotton all the way across your reed. You can warp all of the Aurora Earth threads in every other slot, then go back and warp the Caterpillar Cotton in the skipped slots for a quicker warping process.
Remember that the slots with Aurora Earth will have four threads while the slots with Caterpillar Cotton will have two threads.
This chart will allow for 23" weaving width but you can reduce the number of repeats to fit any size loom.
Sleying the Reed
Wind the warp onto the back beam and then transfer two of the Aurora Earth threads from each slot into the holes and one Caterpillar Cotton thread into the holes. Once you have transferred all the appropriate threads into the holes, tie the yarns in small sections onto the front apron rod and tighten the tension.
Preparing the Shuttles
Wind one shuttle double strand Aurora Earth and a second shuttle single strand Caterpillar Cotton. You can wind a third shuttle with single strand Aurora Earth if you plan to hem your fabric instead of making a fringe finish.
Weaving...You can weave either one long bath towel, two kitchen towels, or a shawl with fringe.
Instructions for One Bath Towel
Weave with scrap yarn to spread the warp evenly.
With single strand Aurora Earth weave 1 ½” for hem.
Change to shuttles with double strand Aurora Earth and Caterpillar Cotton.
Alternate two picks Aurora Earth then two picks Caterpillar Cotton for the entire length of your warp.
Finish with single strand Aurora Earth weaving 1 ½” for hem.
Instructions for Two Kitchen Towels
Weave with scrap yarn to spread the warp evenly.
With single strand Aurora Earth weave 1 ½” for hem.
Change to shuttles with double strand Aurora Earth and Caterpillar Cotton.
Alternate two picks Aurora Earth then two picks Caterpillar Cotton for 33”.
Finish with single strand Aurora Earth weaving 1 ½” for hem.
Weave a few rows with a contrasting yarn then start your next towel.
Remove the towels from the loom and sew a straight stitch across each end with sewing thread. 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 and dry on normal. Press with a warm iron if needed. Towels will relax with more washes.
Instructions for Shawl with Fringe
Weave with a slick scrap yarn, strips of paper towel, or cardboard strips for 8”, allowing for fringe area.
Weave 3 picks Caterpillar Cotton, leaving a tail four times the width of your warp. Hemstitch across 3 warp threads and 3 weft threads in these three rows.
Continue weaving, alternating two picks doubled Aurora Earth then two picks Caterpillar Cotton for the entire length of your warp, making sure to leave at least 8" unwoven for fringe.
When finished weaving your shawl, hemstitch as you did at the beginning. This will secure the weft from becoming unwoven before cutting your shawl from the loom.
Cut your shawl from the loom and trim your fringes to 6-8” on both ends. Lay one end of your shawl on a flat surface and place a heavy book on it so that it doesn’t move around. You can now proceed with a fringe twister or twist your fringe by hand in groups of 3 threads per twist (doubled Aurora Earth counts as one thread).
Twisting Fringe by Hand:
Starting at one side, separate your first 6 strands and divide these into two groups. Twist the first group of strands clockwise until the twist is nice and firm all the way to the top of the twist. Then do the same with the second group of strands, still holding the first twisted group. Once you have both groups twisted, hold these two twists together and let them twist back on each other counter-clockwise. Secure at the bottom with an overhand knot. If you end up with an odd number of threads at the end of your fringe just twist the extra thread into the last fringe that you make.
Care for your Shawl
Hand washing and laying flat to dry is recommended with fringe. Wash with a gentle soap, rinse, then soak in a teaspoon of fabric softener. I like Meyers brand, but you can use whatever brand you like. If you prefer to use a washer and dryer, you can place your shawl in a mesh laundry bag so that the fringe doesn’t get twisted up on each other or with other items in the wash. Lay flat or hand to dry, then when almost dry, tumble in the dryer for a few minutes to fluff up and release wrinkles.
4-Shaft Instructions
Winding the WarpWind a warp of (230 ends) 346 threads following the Warp Color Order Chart. The Aurora Earth ends are doubled and the Caterpillar Cotton ends are single.
Dress your loom using your preferred method (front to back or back to front).
Sley the reed with two threads Aurora Earth per slot and one thread Caterpillar Cotton per slot in a 10-dent reed. Thread the heddles in a repeat of 1, 2, 3, 4, with one thread in each heddle.
Winding the Bobbins
Wind a bobbin with single strand Caterpillar Cotton and a second bobbin with doubled 8/2. You could use a double bobbin boat shuttle, or a stick shuttle for the doubled 8/2 cotton . If you are weaving towels you’ll also wind a bobbin with single 8/2 cotton for weaving the hem areas.
Weaving:
Weave with scrap yarn to spread the warp evenly.
If you are weaving towels, weave 1 ½” hem with single 8/2 cotton.
Continue weaving in plain weave, alternating two picks doubled Aurora Earth 8/2, then two picks Caterpillar Cotton. You can choose to weave one long bath towel with your complete warp length or two kitchen towels 30” each plus hems.
If you are planning for a shawl, weave in waste yarn for 8” then weave 3 picks Caterpillar Cotton, leaving a tail four times the width of your warp. Hemstitch across 3 warp threads and 3 weft threads in these three rows.
Continue weaving, alternating two picks doubled Aurora Earth then two picks Caterpillar Cotton for the entire length of your warp.
When finished weaving your shawl, hemstitch as you did at the beginning. This will secure the weft from becoming unwoven before cutting your shawl from the loom. Be sure to allow for fringe of 8” at beginning and end of your shawl. Follow the Twisting Fringe and Care Instructions above.
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This A-Mazing Possibilities weaving project is available as a kit with 8 color options!
We've made it easy for you to weave your very own A-Mazing Towels or Shawl with our colorful Caterpillar Cotton and Aurora Earth 8/2 Cottons from Cotton Clouds!
Each kit comes with the yarns to weave one large bath towel, two generously sized kitchen towels, or a shawl with fringe. We have eight color options to choose from! Save $10 with any two kit purchase!
I hope you enjoy weaving with Caterpillar Cotton!
Jodi Ybarra
Cotton Clouds, Inc
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