My Earth Day Tradition: Two (Temporarily) Free Towel Patterns
UPDATE: The towel patterns are no longer available for free but can be purchased here.
Happy Earth Day! For the 6th year in a row, I’m celebrating this special day with my favorite tradition - the release of two special towel patterns, free for three days only! Every year I get so excited to add these patterns to my stack of eco-friendly designs and to be able to offer them to all of you for free for a limited time! Scroll down to find the new Silver Lake and Eagle Rock Towel patterns for free through Monday, April 24th, 2023 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 Ocean Conservancy.
While I believe every day should be Earth Day, I think having a dedicated day where we can all reflect on our impact and outline changes we can make in our every day lives to serve this planet is very important. As many of us know, the textile and fashion industries are a major factor in the destruction of our Earth as as part of that community, I think about my own impact a lot.
Completely overhauling one’s life and scrutinizing every little choice can be very overwhelming and often not helpful. It’s all about the small changes you can implement and continue to stack up that will make the biggest changes. We do have a lot of power as individuals to make a dent in the problem - use less plastic, use less water, make more informed purchasing choices, eating less meat, etc.
When it comes to the yarn industry, just like the fashion industry, there are a lot of discussions on sustainable and eco-friendly fibers. Acrylic often gets a bad rap for releasing microplastics into waterways, but there are other benefits to it such as accessibility, affordability, and the fact that it causes less allergies. Many “eco-friendly” yarns are actually problematic as well. Did you know, for instance, that it takes up to 2700 liters of water to produce one cotton shirt, or that wool production is linked to several harmful impacts on the planet? It’s a complicated and layered conversation, and it seems that most choices come at an expense.
One thing that frustrates me is when I see people getting attacked for their yarn choices as if it’s the end of the world. Of course every decision matters, but you could easily have someone who uses acrylic yarn who also recycles, makes their own clothes, shops organic, donates to charities that advocate for the planet, etc - and you could have someone who only uses natural fibers but who over-consumes, drives a heavily polluting car, leaves trash on the beach, etc, etc. These topics are not as black and white as they seem, and I try to remind myself of this while I try to make better choices where I can and when I can.
Aside from these towels, I love a reusable hand-knit or crocheted bag! I truly take these things with me everywhere I go, and they feel even more special knowing that I made them myself. Here are some of my faves:
This year the inspiration for my Earth Day towels was really just modern interior design. I have been seeing checkerboard patterns everywhere - maybe they’re the new chevron? Haha. But seriously, from rugs to bath towels to ceramics, the checker is definitely having it’s moment.
Read about the inspo behind the previous four years' towels here:
2018: Alsace and Marseille Tea Towels
2019: Barrow and Waverly Hand Towels
2020: Brimfield and Berkshire Dishcloths
2021: Bistro and Mercantile Kitchen Cloths
2022: Cottage and Cabin Cloths
As per tradition, these patterns will be available for free here on the blog for three days from 4/22/23 through 4/24/23. Starting on 4/25/22, they will only be available for purchase as printer-friendly, ad-free PDFs. The PDFs are part of my "Purposeful Patterns" initiative, whereby $1 from the sale of each pattern will be donated to a worthy cause.
This year I chose to support Ocean Conservancy, a non-profit organization with a mission to work with us to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. According to their site,
“The ocean is at the center of who we are. Even if you’ve never seen the ocean, you’re touched by it every single day. It produces half the air you and I breathe every day, the food we eat and the water we drink.
Our ocean faces many threats like the onslaught of ocean trash, overfishing and ocean acidification. The road to change lies at the intersection of effective strategy, robust science and many, many supporters like you.”
Giving back through my Purposeful Patterns initiative is another small way I aim to make a positive impact, and I love taking the time to learn about incredible organizations like Ocean Conservancy.
Please enjoy the following patterns !
The Silver Lake Towel
This of-the-moment checker pattern is the perfect addition to the sophisticated, modern kitchen. With low contrast colors it offers a subtle yet refined vibe that would be perfect as a gift for any host or hostess.
Purchase the printer-friendly, ad-free PDF here.
The Eagle Rock Towel
This low contrast checker pattern produces a subtle yet refined look for the modern kitchen. Quick to work up, it makes for the perfect hostess or housewarming gift.
Purchase the printer-friendly, ad-free PDF here.
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!
Join the Crew of Wands Facebook group to connect with other makers of Two of Wands patterns for help with techniques and pattern related questions.
The patterns and photographs of items on this site are the property of Two of Wands and are for personal, non-commercial use only. These patterns files are protected by US copyright, and you may not distribute or sell them electronically or physically. Small batch sales of finished pieces made from these patterns are permitted, but seller must use their own photographs and credit must be given to Two of Wands as the designer.
