Petals and Pixels Towels - A New 8-Shaft Pattern Now Available from Gist Yarn!

I'm so excited to share my newest pattern collab with Gist Yarn: the Petals and Pixels Towels! This is a modern take on overshot for 8-shaft weavers, with two different pattern options in one set of towels.

The Inspiration

This design was inspired by Ardis Dobrovolny's drafts found in A Weaver's Book of 8-Shaft Patterns, edited by Carol Strickler, one of my most favorite books! These drafts were my starting point for exploring, and reimagining, a classic structure with a contemporary twist.

mmm

Two Towels, Two Motifs

The pattern includes two distinct designs, two towels of each:

Petals: A flower petal motif framed by a diamond lattice, reminiscent of argyle. This design is fully reversible, so you can hem either side facing forward for a subtle shift in look and color.

Pixels: Here the petals are deconstructed into a playful, pixelated motif inspired by garden brickwork. 

Weave the full set of four or pick your favorite design and repeat it. It's totally up to you!

A Closer Look at the Structure

Overshot is woven with two wefts: a fine tabby (plain weave) weft that builds the ground cloth, and a thicker pattern weft that floats over it to create the motif. In this pattern the two alternate at about 13-14 picks per inch each, for 27 PPI overall.

Materials & Yarn Choice

The warp and tabby weft is Gist Yarn Beam 8/2 Cotton in Natural. The pattern weft is Gist Yarn Duet Cotton/Linen in Storm and Rust. Duet is one of my favorites for towels. It's soft yet durable and gets even softer with every wash.

Gist offers a kit that includes the pattern download, and you can customize the colors right on their website. If you decide to use a different yarn, just be sure to sample, as your dimensions and yardage might differ.

Pattern Details

• Equipment: 8-shaft loom, 34-48 heddles per shaft, 10-dent reed, 2 boat shuttles + bobbins
• Weaving width: 17.9"
• Sett: 20 EPI; 27 PPI (13-14 in tabby, 13-14 in pattern)
• Finished size: four towels, 16" W x 26" L + fringe, after wet-finishing and hemming
• Skill level: Intermediate

Where to Find It

The Petals and Pixels Towels pattern is available now from Gist Yarn as a PDF download ($10), or as a kit with the yarn and pattern download included. A big thank you to Gist for another wonderful collaboration!

I'm so excited to see how you interpret these towels on your own looms. Please share them with me on Instagram @otterwoven_bydana. I hope you enjoy weaving them!

Happy Weaving! 🫶

Photos by Ian Justice, courtesy of Gist Yarn.