Jane Handwoven Ethiopian Cotton Kitchen Towel

A handwoven checkerboard designed for the work of the kitchen

The Jane Kitchen Towel brings broad blocks of color and fine contrasting lines to 100% Ethiopian cotton. Its checkerboard pattern is woven into the cloth rather than printed across the surface, allowing the changing colors and subtle texture of the hand spun yarn to define each square.

At 20 by 31 inches, the towel is generously sized for drying dishes, lining a bread basket, covering rising dough, or spreading beneath freshly washed produce. Hemmed edges support regular use, while an integrated loop keeps it within reach between tasks.

A Design Shared Across Continents

The Jane towel is named for Canadian weaver and educator Jane Stafford, who traveled to Ethiopia and taught the checkerboard design directly to Sabahar’s weavers. Stafford donated her time and expertise, while the Addis Ababa workshop translated the design through Ethiopian cotton, hand spinning, and traditional loom work.

The finished towel reflects that exchange of textile knowledge without losing the character of Sabahar’s own weaving. Slight shifts in yarn thickness and color remain visible within its clean grid, giving the orderly pattern a surface that could only come from cloth made by hand.

Spun & Woven in Addis Ababa

Hand Spun Cotton: Ethiopian cotton is spun by hand, creating subtle changes in the yarn that give the towel its tactile surface.
Woven Checkerboard: Contrasting lines divide the cloth into large blocks of color as part of the weave itself.
Traditional Loom Work: The towel is woven by skilled artisans in Sabahar’s Addis Ababa workshop using established Ethiopian techniques.
Finished for Everyday Use: Hemmed edges provide a clean, durable border, and a hanging loop makes the towel easy to keep near the sink or worktop.

Two Rich Colorways

Bronze: Warm ochre and earthen brown tones form a graphic grid suited to wood, brass, terracotta, and natural stone.
Steel Blue: Blue and green tones create a cooler composition crossed by pale woven lines.

Because the cotton is hand spun and the towels are dyed in small batches, slight differences in color and texture are expected. Each variation records part of the process behind the cloth.

A Fair Trade Textile Workshop

Sabahar is a woman owned Ethiopian textile company that has worked for more than twenty years to preserve traditional spinning and weaving while creating reliable artisan employment. Its Addis Ababa workshop provides fair wages, safe working conditions, and long term work for more than 100 artisans.

Sabahar is also a guaranteed member of the World Fair Trade Organization, with its practices assessed across the business and supply chain.

Product Details

Material: 100% Ethiopian cotton
Construction: Hand spun, hand dyed, and handwoven
Design: Woven checkerboard pattern
Colors: Bronze and Steel Blue
Dimensions: 50 x 80 cm / approximately 20 x 31 in
Edges: Hemmed
Hanging: Integrated loop
Origin: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Maker: Sabahar
Certification: Sabahar is a guaranteed member of the World Fair Trade Organization
Variation: Slight differences in color and texture are expected due to hand spinning, hand weaving, and small batch dyeing

Care

Washing: Machine wash warm.
Drying: Tumble dry.
Ironing: Iron as needed.

Ideal For

• Drying dishes, glassware, and larger serving pieces
• Lining bread baskets or serving trays
• Covering dough while it rises
• Keeping within reach using the integrated hanging loop
• Bringing handwoven color and pattern into an everyday kitchen

Designed through a meeting of Canadian and Ethiopian weaving knowledge, the Jane Kitchen Towel turns a practical cotton cloth into a record of skill generously shared and carefully carried forward.