Weaving
Cotton Towels
My towels are absorbent towels created in many patterns in many color options. They are washing machine / dryer safe. Use and abuse. Once you try them you won’t want any other towels.
Scottish Tartan Towels
I recreate cotton towels in the patterns of Scottish tartan plaids. You can message me on specific clan options and we can figure out the best options.
Scarves/Shawls
My scarves/shawls are made in several different fibers.
Rayon chenille is a man-made fiber offering a warm, soft and colorful options. Rayon chenille can be handwashed and dry flat.
Bamboo yarn offers a wonderful dressy scarf with a beautiful sheen great to dress up an outfit. Bamboo should be handwashed or dry cleaned.
Tencel is a wood cellulose product that as a scarf offers a smooth shiny dressy option to any outfit. Tencel needs to be handwashed or dry cleaned
Silk is a much more delicate scarf in intricate patterns. Definitely a dry clean or hand wash item.
Lap Blankets
are great small blankets for those cool nights on the couch or for fall outdoor sports events. They are typically made from a washable wool, cotton or sometimes a rayon chenille. Definitely a dry clean or hand wash item.
Mug Rugs
coffee mug coasters that are made from the same absorbent cotton as the towels and machine washable. They are great on a glass table as they won’t scratch the surface.
Key Chains
Made from towel fabric with a great loop that goes over your wrist.
Table Runners and Placemats
I make both on custom orders. We can discuss colors and patterns. Typically they are made from a heavier weight cotton for washability and absorbency.
SPECIAL REQUESTS for patterns/colors in any of my woven items can be made by emailing me at karen@wildcloverweavingandmosaic.com.
You can see lots of my previous work and patterns on social media on either Facebook or Instagram.
From Our Customers
Where have they gone?
This map shows where my towels have gone within the US and beyond. I know towels have gone to all but 4 US states and 22 countries. Please let me know if you have taken them places not listed below.
Towels have gone to the following countries that I know of –
Israel
South Africa
England
France
Netherlands
Germany
Switzerland
Scotland
Ireland
Nova Scotia
South Korea
Australia
Zambia
Italy
Spain
New Zealand
Turkey
Poland
Portugal
Costa Rica
Mexico
USA states that I’m missing –
Kansas
Mississippi
Nebraska
West Virginia
Weaving Terminology
Warp
Vertical threads in a woven item
Weft
Horizonal threads in a woven item
the number of threads in the warp per inch – equates to the density of the fabric. Towels are typically 20 or 24 ends per inch.
Ends per Inch (EPI)
Harness are one part of determine the pattern detail. They hold the wire heddles that hold individual threads. The more harnesses a loom has more intricate the design/pattern can be. I have one 4 harness and two 8 harness looms.
Harness/Heddles
the space in front of the reed between the threads that are raised/lowered when treadles are pressed.
Shed
Peddles that attach to the harnesses. The second part of determining a pattern. The last part of patterns is the order in which it press the treadles.
Treadles
the shuttle delivers the thread that makes up the weft (horizontal) threads. Thread is wound on either a bobbin/pirn and fitted into the shuttle.
Shuttle/bobbin/pirn
the first separator of threads before the Harnesses and Heddles. This determines how compact the weaving ends up. The more dents in a reed per inch the tighter the warp threads the thicker the weaving ends up.
Reed
basically a cube on a spinner which allows me to measure the warp. My standard mill is 6 feet tall and 14 feet around. I can measure a warp up to 40 yards long on this mill.
Warping mill
My weaving process
I measure yarn off cones onto a warping mill thread by thread in the order I will then transfer them onto the loom. Once measured I braid hand over hand the warp off the mill. Taking it to the loom – I thread 2 threads per dent in the reed, each individual thread is threaded through a heddle on a specific harness. Once threaded I tie onto the back beam and wind the entire warp onto the back beam. I then tie to the front beam giving me tension on the warp. I tie the harnesses up to the treadles and we are ready to weave. This process up to this point takes me about 2 days.
Fiber Care
Cotton -A favorite yarn for dishcloths, placemats and baby wraps because it is soft and absorbent. Items made with cotton can be machine washed and are safe for the dryer.
Bamboo – Rayon from bamboo is made from the bamboo fiber that is broken down into a cellular slurry and regenerated as an extruded fiber. Bamboo is breathable, lustrous and has great drape in scarves and shawls. Preferred cleaning is handwashing and dry flat.
Rayon Chenille – Rayon chenille is a fiber made from viscose or wood pulp made into short fibers wrapped around a strong core strand. This fiber is great for scarves and shawls being a plush velvety yarn that comes in great colors and creates a drapey fabric. Woven items in chenille are typically a tighter fabric so hand washing or dry cleaning are both options to cleaning.
Tencel – Tencel is a trademarked fiber that is part of the rayon family. It is made from wood pulp that is converted to an extruded fiber. It is supple, breathable and quite lustrous. I weave scarves and shawls from Tencel because of the drape and shine of the piece. Tencel items should be handwashed and dry flat.
Silk – Silk is the natural protein fiber extruded from the spinnerets of the silkworm as it makes its cocoon. It is a very strong fiber that comes in amazing bright colors. Silk creates a luxurious drapey fabric that is typically woven into very detailed patterns in scarves/shawls. Silk items should be dry cleaned or handwashed and dried flat.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Weaving
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When I thread the loom, I put on a 36-yard warp (vertical threads) this will give me +/- 33 towels. It takes me 2 days to set up the loom and wind on the warp. After getting the loom setup I can weave out 5-8 towels a day depending on the difficulty of the pattern. I can typically complete a 36-yard warp in a week.
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I certainly do. If you are looking for something specific or a certain colorway of towels, be sure to reach out and we can discuss how I can make what you are looking for.
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Sorry, I am not set up to teach classes for weaving. I am happy to direct you to some very qualified folks that are happy to teach. Also, I suggest researching your local weaving guilds to see if there are any weavers in your area that do classes.
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I started in 2007 by taking some classes one-on-one with a local teacher. It all connected and has blossomed from there.