Super Easy Cotton Tea Towels - Part II

I really enjoyed weaving up the cotton tea towel described in Angela Tong's Craftsy video - - the pattern is simple yet classic and clean, and the project can be easily completed in only one day from start to finish.

The original pattern called for Lily Sugar n' Cream cotton yarn in white and green twist and that is a lovely combination.  But alas, it is not a super common yarn for some of my local Toronto high-end wool shops.  I ordered more of this yarn online from Yarnspirations, but in the meantime cast about for another cotton yarn that would weave up well and that I could find in my local wool-a-teria.

The solution - - Cascade Luna cotton yarn.  The yarn has a beautiful curl/twist to it, feels wonderfully soft after washing, and weaves up a treat, nice and smooth and even.

I bought almost all the white my local store had, as well as a supply of beautiful hand-dyed blue.  My partner The Nerd also picked up additional colours of this yarn as a Christmas present, including a beautiful rich variegated purple and a green - - lovely!  I started weaving with the white and blue shown above, then added a set of the white and purple the next day.

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As with the original Lily Sugar n' Cream towels, I warped the Cascade Luna onto my Kromski Harp using my 8-dent heddle and finished with a hemstitch.  The towels are somewhat airy when first woven, but after washing they fluff up in a most satisfying way that is deliciously soft on the skin.

 I frankly love this pattern and plan on using it for my 2014 range of gift towels (for stocking stuffers or as Christmas gifts, or for single towels as hostess gifts when we are invited to parties).  I plan on doing a few more sets of towels using the Craftsy pattern, and then I will switch to something else for next season.  It would not do to get bored with weaving simply because I went crazy making one particular tea towel pattern on an industrial scale!

I have already given away the set of white/blue towels as hostess gifts at two different events this month, and each was very well received.  I have already woven up a replacement white/blue towel with my incremental Christmas yarn, even though I technically should have been saving it for after Christmas.  Humbug on that, I say!  Immediate gratification all the way!