The Great ETC Towel-Off of 2020

Due to the crazy spring we’re all having, we at ETC have decided to alter some of the details for our 2020 ETC Towel-Off. First off, we’re extending the deadline to June 1st. The original ‘anything goes’ rules are still in place, but Madelyn van der Hoogt has raised the stakes! We are ADDING some new stipulations and if your entry qualifies it can also become eligible for some extra (and amazing) prizes! If this is the first you’ve heard about the Towel-Off, keep reading, you still have time!

We created this weaving contest as a fun way to encourage everyone to get out there and weave something. We had no idea we would all be stuck at home this spring! We now have two categories of participation: a basic ‘JUST WEAVE!’ level and a stricter ‘DESIGN A TOWEL’ level. Any weaver at any skill level is welcome to enter their towels into either category.

There are a couple rules that apply to both categories:

• Must be woven (start to finish) in 2020
• Send us a photo of the completed towels & a photo in-progress
• Finish by June 1st

All entries are open to ANYONE (any age, any location, any skill level).

For the JUST WEAVE category, the towels can be any number, any size, any design, any yarn … anything goes! The weaver of the BEST towel in this category gets a $100 gift certificate to use at ETC!

For the DESIGN A TOWEL category, things get more complicated. We would like to turn the winning towel into a kit so that other weavers can recreate your magnificent design! That being the case, the entries need to follow some extra guidelines:

• Must be made of readily available yarn, or you can suggest a substitute that will work (so, no handspun cotton!)
• 8 or fewer shafts
• Should have an element of your own design (in the draft, colors, yarns, etc.)
• Please send us a couple in-progress photos (at the warp board, dressing the loom, weaving)
• Finally, you will need to physically mail us a sample towel. We will mail it back to you when the contest is over!

The weaver of the BEST towel in this category will win an all-expenses paid one-week trip to Madelyn van der Hoogt’s Weavers’ School (week I or II). They will also get their towel design immemorialized as a kit, available at ETC.

We will also be awarding a couple extra gift certificates & yarn to the runners up.

The judging for BOTH categories will be done by the ETC & Weavers’ School staff (we aren’t eligible to enter!). Here’s what we will be looking for:

• Design – Color use, pattern, texture, originality

• Weaving Skill – technique, evenness, and those pesky edges

We look forward to seeing all your entries! If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to call or email!