RIC RAC STRIPE TOWEL
Number of warp ends per color
Royal – 160 ends (includes a floating selvage thread not shown on draft)
Flax – 229 ends
Black – 8 ends
MEASUREMENTS
Warp in reed = 20”
On-loom = 18.5” x 33”
Off-loom = 18” x 31.5”
Hemmed and washed = 17.25” x 28.5”
Machine hemmed.
The ric rac effect in the stripes is prominent on one side than the other. I used that as the right side of the towel.
I made 4 towels, each with a different color weft. The warp was 19″ wide x 160″ long on the loom with 384 ends (4 floating selvedge threads). The finished towels were 16″ x 25″ hemmed. I lost 3″ in width and 6″ in length after removing from the loom, washing and drying the towels.
Initial cut at 8-shaft Ms & Os.
Enjoyed the color play of the variegated warp against the dark weft.
Hand – hemmed, 398 ends.
I used the draw down from Handweaving.net number 61229.
I used a 15 dent reed sett 20 epi.
Warped 444 threads 442 for the pattern and 2 for floating selvedge.
In the loom they were 22 inches wide and 30 inches long. After wash and hemming they were 18.5 wide and 25.5 long.
With the draw down from handweaving.net I added a border on each side of 8 threads per side and add a 2 in border pick at bottom and top of the towel.
This towel is based on Erica de Ruiter’s Shadow Towels. I have added 12 warps ends on each side to improve the selvedges. Veronique Perrot and Lisa Hill have also been valuable for information for this project.
This can be woven on a 2 shaft or rigid heddle loom.
When weaving, use the outer two threads as a floating selvedge. The 12 ends are used double as 6 working ends in the heddles and reed. You will weave as many as three picks in the same shed and you will need to rely on the outer threads.
I used white 8/2 Brassard cottolin for one of the yarns. The 22/2 Bockens cottolin was from Vastuga in 8 different colors that I had in my stash.