Gist Duet – Cotton & Linen Weaving Yarn, 5/2 Weight

$28.00
Color
Storm

Gist Duet brings together the easy weaving qualities of cotton with the beautiful sheen, texture, and hand of linen. Made from 55% European tow linen and 45% US cotton, it creates cloth with subtle character and a slightly marbled appearance from the natural variation in the linen.

Smooth and satisfying to weave on a multi-shaft loom, Duet is also a lovely introduction to linen for rigid heddle weavers who already have a few projects under their belts. The cotton makes the yarn more approachable than weaving with 100% linen, while still allowing you to experience the distinctive drape and character linen brings to finished cloth.

Duet is especially beautiful for summer scarves and shawls, where its drape and subtle sheen can shine, as well as towels, napkins, table runners, and other household linens. Finished cloth continues to soften and improve with washing and use, making Duet particularly well suited to pieces designed to become part of everyday life.

Spun in North Carolina from European linen and US cotton, Duet is a versatile choice for weavers looking for a natural-fiber yarn with beautiful texture, longevity, and drape.

Technical Specifications

• Fiber: 55% European Tow Linen, 45% US Cotton
• Size: Similar to 5/2
• Yardage: 600 Yards per Cone
• Cone Weight: 4 oz
• Yards Per Pound: 2,390
• Suggested Sett: 12–18 EPI
• Looms: Rigid Heddle and Multi-Shaft
• Care: Hand or Machine Wash in Cool Water; Tumble Dry Low or Air Dry
• Made In: USA

Why We Love It at A Show of Hands

Duet is a wonderful way to bring linen into your weaving without jumping straight into a 100% linen yarn. The cotton makes it smooth and approachable on the loom, while the linen gives the finished cloth that unmistakable texture, subtle sheen, and beautiful drape.

We especially love it for useful textiles. Towels and table linens become softer and more beautiful with use, making Duet a natural choice for handwoven pieces meant to be lived with for years.

Perfect For

• Handwoven towels
• Napkins and dining linens
• Table runners
• Summer scarves
• Shawls and wraps
• Lightweight woven fabric
• Rigid heddle weaving
• Multi-shaft weaving
• Heirloom-quality household textiles

 
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Pay with Apple Pay We offer Apple Pay as a swift and secure way to make a payment at checkout.
Order online, collect in-store Choose in-store collection at checkout to pick up your order at select Fresh locations.
Gather and craft Join us in our store for crafting, to ask questions, or dream up new projects!

We’re here for the love of it and the fun of it. For the craft that connects us to something older than any of us.

Fiber Information

Yarn Weight + WPI

Yarn weight refers to the thickness of a yarn. Thickness determines appropriate needle or hook size, finished fabric density, and yardage requirements. Standard weight categories from thinnest to thickest: lace, fingering, sport, DK, worsted, bulky, super bulky.


Weight labels on yarn are approximate. Wraps per inch (WPI) gives a more precise measurement. To measure WPI: wrap yarn snugly around a ruler for one inch, without overlapping strands or stretching. Count the wraps.


WPI reference:

  • 30+ WPI: lace
  • 20–28 WPI: fingering
  • 14–18 WPI: sport
  • 11–14 WPI: DK
  • 9–11 WPI: worsted
  • 7–8 WPI: bulky
  • Fewer than 7 WPI: super bulky

WPI is most useful when a label is missing, when substituting yarns, or when working with handspun yarn.

Gauge and Sett

Gauge is the number of stitches and rows per inch in a knitted or crocheted fabric. It is determined by yarn weight, needle or hook size, and individual tension. A pattern’s gauge is the measurement the designer used to calculate sizing. If your gauge does not match the pattern, your finished dimensions will differ. A small difference over many inches makes a big difference in fit.

To adjust gauge: a smaller needle or hook produces more stitches per inch; a larger needle or hook produces fewer. The goal is to match the pattern’s gauge, not its suggested needle size.


Sett is the weaving equivalent of wraps per inch (WPI). Sett controls how open or dense the finished woven cloth will be. A standard starting point for sett is half the WPI for a balanced plain weave. Twill structures generally require a slightly closer sett; lace structures a more open one.


Both gauge and sett are starting points that need to be confirmed by sampling. Calculate first, then verify with a swatch. Record what you find; your future self will thank you.

Wet Blocking

Blocking is the process of wetting a finished piece, shaping it, and allowing it to dry. It evens out stitches, sets the final dimensions, and for lace, opens the pattern fully.


For protein fibers (wool, alpaca, cashmere): soak in cool water with a small amount of wool wash until fully saturated, typically 15 to 20 minutes. Gently press out water without wringing. Roll in a towel to remove excess moisture. Lay flat, shape to finished measurements, and pin if needed. Allow to dry completely before moving.


For lace pieces, blocking wires threaded through edge stitches produces cleaner lines than pins alone.


Fiber-specific notes:

  • Wool holds its blocked shape well once dry.
  • Silk and silk blends block well and dry quickly.
  • Linen and cotton do not respond to blocking the same way protein fibers do, but wet finishing still softens and settles the fiber.
    Steam blocking is appropriate for fibers that should not be fully saturated. Hold the iron several inches above the surface. Do not press down on wool -- direct pressure and heat flatten the fiber's loft.

    Block to finished measurements, not to the dimensions of the piece as it came off the needles or loom.