Weaving for any purpose – to learn a structure, to try a new fiber, to make something specific – is always fun, but I find it particularly rewarding to weave a functional textile for our household. Over the past year I dedicated many a warp to crafting a basic, everyday washcloth.
Some of the rejected cloths: too scratchy, too small, too thick, too stiff, too flimsy, etc.
I tested various fibers: Bockens 16/2 and 8/2 cotton, 22/2 cottolin (cotton/linen blend), Brassard 8/4 cotton and boucle cotton, Bluegrass Mills hemp, and Gist’s Mallo (slub) cotton. I tried various weave structures: plain weave, 2/2 twill, hopsack, waffle weave, huck lace. I used colors and neutrals, solids and stripes.
All of these sample cloths were hemmed and plunked into bathroom baskets for daily rotation. In addition to comparing the functional size, texture, thickness, and softness of the cloths, I wanted to see how they would hold up over time, when subjected to the dual stress tests of Small Children and Lazy Laundering.
Finally, a winning cloth.
In the end, the process worked backward: I crafted a series of lovely pool towels, and decided the same fiber combination would make a great washcloth. Curious weavers will find the “recipe” below, but non-weavers will perhaps be content with this: the cloth is nicely sized, super soft and flexible (for washing children’s fingers and faces), absorbent, quick to dry, and easy to launder (with bleach if necessary). For my household, at least, it’s the perfect washcloth.
Now, I can move on to a new quest: crafting the perfect lap blanket.
Wash Cloth Weaving Specs
Yarns: Brassard 8/2 cotton (natural) and boucle cotton (creme), 1 cone each
Structure: Plain Weave
Finished Size: 10 × 10 inches
Warp: 148 ends of 8/2 cotton doubled (2 strands held together). 4.5 yard warp = 10 cloths
Threading: straight draw @ 12 epi
Weave: With a single strand of 8/2 cotton, weave 18 picks for hem. With bouclé weft, weave 11.5", then repeat hem with the 8/2 cotton. Place two picks of divider before starting next cloth. Wash and dry twice before cutting apart to hem.
