Two of Wands Earth Day

Did you know Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970? We still have a long way to go in reversing the damage we’ve done to this home of ours, but I think there are tiny steps each of us can start to take that will add up to big change. To honor the planet and all of its gifts, I wanted to create something special for Earth Day this year that would be useful and also inspiring to others who want to begin taking these tiny steps.

Enter the Marseille (crochet) and Alsace (knit) Tea Towels. These washable, reusable kitchen towel patterns make excellent additions to your home and beautiful gifts for loved ones. Scroll down to find the patterns for free until Tuesday, April 24th at 11:59pm EST, after which they will return to normal pricing and join my Purposeful Patterns initiative whereby $1 from the sale of each pattern will be donated to the National Geographic Society.

Two of Wands Earth Day

While saving the planet can be totally overwhelming and seemingly impossible for any one person to do, it’s the collective efforts we all make that will start to make an impact. I was inspired by my dear friends from the Life of Plenty blog who recently wrote a post about the immense task of overhauling everything in your environment to to lead a “cleaner” life, and how just simple changes here and there can really add up over time. They are focusing on making adjustments to their morning routines to reduce toxins and chemicals in the products they use in their homes and on their bodies, because “making small steps is better than not doing anything at all.” 

Two of Wands Earth Day

I’ve been blown away with the love my French Market Bag pattern has received since I released the pattern last year, and I’ve seen a huge increase in downloads of my knit version, the Farmers’ Market Tote, as well. It’s heartwarming to know that people are starting to reduce their use of plastic bags and replace them with prettier, handmade totes and that I’ve been able to be part of that. So in keeping with the home/kitchen theme, I designed two washable, reusable towels to replace paper towels and hopefully spark more thoughtfulness when it comes to replacing disposable items in our homes with more sustainable practices.

Two of Wands Earth Day

Both the Marseille and Alsace tea towels use the linen stitch in their respective crafts and were inspired by French bistro towels, which I personally love to use as kitchen towels, napkins, cleaning rags, and pressing cloths for steam blocking my knits. I chose to work with Lion Brand Yarn 24/7 Cotton for the designs for its durability and drape. I hope these patterns will inspire and motivate you to make small changes in your daily routine to help protect and renew our wonderful world.

Marseille Tea Towel Pattern by Two of Wands

The Marseille Tea Towel is an easy level crochet pattern, and the techniques involved are single crochet, chaining and skipping stitches, and working into chain spaces.

Marseille Tea Towel Pattern by Two of Wands

MATERIALS:

2 skeins Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton in Ecru for Main Color (MC)
1 skein Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton in Charcoal for Contrast Color (CC)
Size US J/10 (6mm) crochet hook
Tapestry needle

FINISHED SIZE:

Length: 25”/64cm
Width: 16”/41cm

GAUGE:

16 sts x 15 rows = 4”/10cm in linen stitch

ABBREVIATIONS:

*All Two of Wands patterns are written in standard US terms

Ch – chain
Ch-sp – chain space
Sc – single crochet
Sk – skip
St(s) – stitch(es)

Notes: Towel is worked in striped linen stitch. To change colors, work the last yarn over of the last stitch of the previous color in the new color.

With MC, ch 65.

Row 1: Starting in 2nd ch from hook, sc across row. (64 sts)

Row 2: Ch 2, sk 1, sc 1, *ch 1, sk 1, sc 1, rep from * to end of row.

Row 3: Ch 2, *sk 1, sc in ch-sp, rep from * to end of row.

Rows 4-9: Rep row 3.

Change to CC.

Rep row 3 twice.

Change to MC.

Rep row 3 twice.

Change to CC.

Rep row 3 four times.

Change to MC.

Rep row 3 twice.

Change to CC.

Rep row 3 twice.

Change to MC.

Rep row 3 until work measures 20”/51cm.

Change to CC.

Rep row 3 twice.

Change to MC.

Rep row 3 twice.

Change to CC.

Rep row 3 four times.

Change to MC.

Rep row 3 twice.

Change to CC.

Rep row 3 twice.

Change to MC.

Rep row 3 eight times.

Last row: Ch 1, sc across row.

Hook loop:

With MC, ch tightly for 2”/5cm. Tie tail ends together to form a loop. Fold towel in half widthwise and use tail ends to secure loop to center point.

Secure and weave in all ends.

Download a printer-friendly PDF of the Marseille Tea Towel pattern here.

Alsace Tea Towel Pattern by Two of Wands

The Alsace Tea Towel is an easy level knitting pattern, and the techniques involved are knit, purl, and slipping stitches. 

Alsace Tea Towel Pattern by Two of Wands

MATERIALS:

1 skein Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton in Silver for Main Color (MC)
1 skein Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton in Ecru for Contrast Color (CC)
Size US 10 (6mm) knitting needles
Tapestry needle

FINISHED SIZE:

Length: 18”/46cm
Width: 14”/36cm

GAUGE:

18 sts x 32 rows = 4”/10cm in linen stitch

ABBREVIATIONS:

*All Two of Wands patterns are written in standard US terms

CO – cast on
K – knit
P – purl
Rep – repeat
RS – right side
Sl – slip
St(s) – stitch(es)
Wyib – with yarn in back
Wyif – with yarn in front

Notes: Towel is worked in striped linen stitch. All sts are slipped purlwise.

With MC, CO 65.

Row 1 (RS): K 1, *Sl 1 wyif, K 1, rep from * across row.

Row 2: P 2, *Sl 1 wyib, P 1, rep from * to last st, P 1.

Rep rows 1 and 2 until work measures 2”/5cm.

Change to CC.

Next 4 rows: Rep rows 1 and 2.

Change to MC.

Next 4 rows: Rep rows 1 and 2.

Change to CC.

Next 8 rows: Rep rows 1 and 2.

Change to MC.

Next 4 rows: Rep rows 1 and 2.

Change to CC.

Next 4 rows: Rep rows 1 and 2.

Change to MC.

Rep rows 1 and 2 until work measures 13”/33cm.

Change to CC.

Next 4 rows: Rep rows 1 and 2.

Change to MC.

Next 4 rows: Rep rows 1 and 2.

Change to CC.

Next 8 rows: Rep rows 1 and 2.

Change to MC.

Next 4 rows: Rep rows 1 and 2.

Change to CC.

Next 4 rows: Rep rows 1 and 2.

Change to MC.

Rep rows 1 and 2 for 2”/5cm.

Bind off. Block work to even out sts.

Hook loop:

With MC, finger chain for 2”/5cm. To do this, make a large slipknot loop as if you were making the first stitch of a knit or crochet project. Holding the working yarn and the tail in your left hand, use the thumb and middle finger of your right hand to reach through the loop, grab the working yarn, pull a loop through the original loop and pull it taught. Then reach through that loop, grab the working yarn, pull through another loop and pull it taught. Continue in this manner until the chains measure 2”/5cm.

Tie tail ends together to form a loop. Fold towel in half widthwise and use tail ends to secure loop to center point.

Secure and weave in all ends.

Download a printer-friendly PDF of the Alsace Tea Towel pattern here.

Two of Wands Earth Day

Looking for other ways to reduce waste in your daily routine? Check out the French Market Bag and Farmers’ Market Tote patterns!

Don’t forget to share your projects made using Two of Wands patterns on Instagram with the hashtag #crewofwands so your post will get featured on my site and you’ll be in the running for monthly pattern giveaways!

Check out the #crewofwands community page here.

The pattern and photographs of this design are the property of Two of Wands. This pattern and design are subject to copyright, and are for personal, non-commercial use only. You may not distribute or sell this pattern or any items created using the directions in this pattern without consent. Please visit my policies for more information.

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