Yarn Lab: Stonewashed Cottons

“Oh my, this is going to be fun!” was my first thought upon opening the box of 5/2 Valley Cotton Stonewash from WEBS. The dappled appearance of the yarn was unlike anything in my yarn stash. I immediately started imagining how it would weave up. What would those speckles look like in a finished cloth? Well, time to start planning a warp or two or three . . .

THE YARN

Valley Yarns 5/2 Valley Cotton Stonewash (100% pearl cotton; 2,100 yd/lb; WEBS), 9 colorways.

Even on the cone, these yarns have an appealing speckled appearance. For my sampling, I warped three looms: a four-shaft table loom, a rigid-heddle loom, and my eight-shaft floor loom. The Valley Cotton Stonewash performed well as warp on all three looms. It was easy to wind on and did not fray or break. Because of its speckled character, I combined it with solid-colored yarns from my stash to explore design possibilities. I found that the Stonewash paired well with all of its companion yarns. After wet-finishing, shrinkage was what I would have expected for pearl cotton, and differential shrinkage with the other yarns was minimal.

[PAYWALL]

WARP 1

For the first samples, I used the Stonewash as warp on my four-shaft table loom with a variety of wefts. After wet-finishing, all samples had a pleasing hand. The 5/2 bamboo weft in sample 1 added extra drape, resulting in a fabric that would work well as an accessory scarf. The solid blue pearl cotton gave the M and W pattern crisp definition in sample 2. In sample 3, I found that using the Stonewash as weft made it evident that color contrast is important if you want a twill pattern to show as more than simply texture.

Warp: 5/2 Valley Cotton Stonewash, #8798 Frost Gray.
Warp sett: 20 ppi.
Threading: M and W twill.

Left to right: Sample 1 Twill, Sampler 2 Twill, Sampler 3 Twill

Sample 1: Twill

Weft: 5/2 bamboo, teal.
Weft sett: 15 ppi.
Shrinkage in length: 11%.
Shrinkage in width: 10%.

Sample 2: Twill

Weft: 5/2 pearl cotton, blue.
Weft sett: 15 ppi.
Shrinkage in length: 12%.
Shrinkage in width: 10%.

Sample 3: Twill

Weft: 5/2 Stonewash, #7198 Burnt Sienna, and #2166 Porcelain Blue.
Weft sett: 13 ppi.
Shrinkage in length: 17%.
Shrinkage in width: 10%.

WARP 2

I warped the rigid-heddle loom for my second set of samples, pairing the 5/2 Stonewash with 4/2 unmercerized cotton in warp stripes, and using the Stonewash doubled in the heddle and on the shuttle. Again, all the wet-finished samples had good drape. I especially liked how the Stonewash and Dragon Tale Yarns 4/2 cotton worked together in a simple plain-weave stripe. In the weft-float sample, I felt that the color contrast was too subtle to be worth the pick-up stick work. The Brooks bouquet and leno lace sample reminded me of traditional lacework fabrics.

Warp: 5/2 Valley Cotton Stonewash, #2166 Porcelain Blue; Dragon Tale Yarns (Earth Guild) 4/2 unmercerized cotton, teal.
Warp sett: 12 epi.
Threading: Plain weave (5/2 Stonewashed cotton used doubled).

Left to right: Sample 1 Plain Weave, Sampler 2 Plain Weave, Sampler 3 Plain Weave

Sample 1: Plain weave

Weft: 4/2 unmercerized cotton, teal; 5/2 Stonewash, #2166 Porcelain Blue, used doubled on the shuttle.
Weft sett: 12 ppi.
Shrinkage in length: 10%.
Shrinkage in width: 10%.

Sample 2: Weft floats

Weft: 4/2 unmercerized cotton, teal; 5/2 Stonewash, #2166 Porcelain Blue, used doubled on the shuttle.
Weft sett: 9–12 ppi.
Shrinkage in length: 12%.
Shrinkage in width: 10%.

Sample 3: Brooks bouquet and leno lace

Weft: 3/2 pearl cotton, gray.
Weft sett: 11 ppi.
Shrinkage in length: 12%.
Shrinkage in width: 10%.

WARP 3

For the final sample warp, I combined 5/2 Cotton Stonewash with 8/2 cottolin in an 8-shaft huck lace threading on my floor loom. Eight shafts aside, I really like the plain-weave check sample. It looks and feels like good, honest cloth, perfect for items such as everyday napkins and placemats. As I had previously discovered, the color variation of the Stonewash can obscure designs. That said, although the pattern is subtle in sample 2, I found the texture attractive. A set of napkins, each with a different treadling, is now in my weaving-project queue.

Warp: 5/2 Valley Cotton Stonewash, #7198 Burnt Sienna; 8/2 cottolin, orange, used doubled.
Warp sett: 20 ppi
Threading: Huck lace.

Left to right: Sample 1 Plain Weave, Sampler 2 Plain Weave, Sampler 3 Plain Weave

Sample 1: Plain weave

Weft: 5/2 Stonewash, #7198 Burnt Sienna, and 8/2 cottolin, orange.
Weft sett: 15 ppi.
Shrinkage in length: 12%.
Shrinkage in width: 11%.

Sample 2: Huck lace

Weft: 8/2 cottolin, orange.
Weft sett: 18 ppi.
Shrinkage in length: 11%.
Shrinkage in width: 12%.

Sample 3: Huck lace

Weft: 5/2 bamboo, tan.
Weft sett: 16 ppi.
Shrinkage in length: 10%.
Shrinkage in width: 12%.

Resource

• Dixon, Anne. The Handweaver’s Pattern Directory, Loveland Colorado: Interweave, 2007, 88–89.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I wet-finished all of the samples in the washing machine and dryer with the exception of the Brooks bouquet and leno sample. That sample I wet-finished by handwashing in warm water and hanging to dry. I intend to add Valley Cotton Stonewash to my shelves of go-to yarns. This yarn ticks all the boxes for being an attractive, versatile yarn, but it also gets high marks for adding a bit of extra zing to everyday household fabrics. It offers so many possibilities—table linens, blankets, garments, tote bags. Now I want to try using it with other weave structures, perhaps overshot or doubleweave. I’m guessing that if you give Valley Cotton Stonewash a try, plenty of ideas will spring up in your imagination, too.