Wanted to make the towel look like the sunrise I see most mornings from my garden window. It also was a stash buster. I hope when you are stuck drying dishes the towel will make you smile and think about the peace of nature.
Purpose: Towels
MAFA2023-028
I used 6 shafts to reduce the number of heddles on shafts 1 & 2; putting the plain weave portion on #5 & 6. This could be woven on 4 shafts as well. I used Valley Yarns variegated “Cotton Candy” for the plain weave portions of the warp.
MAFA2023-029
Scottish Meadow Towels
I created this pattern while watching the series Outlander. It’s a very easy draft to weave and goes very quickly.
Warp Threads: 282 (7 pattern repeats + 2 selvedge threads))
Warp End Color Sequence: Maysville Navy Blue 20 ends + 1 floating end
Maurice Brassard Mauve 40 ends
Maurice Brassard Olive Fonce 40 ends
Maysville Spanish Blue 80 ends
Maurice Brassard Olive Fonce 40 ends
Maurice Brassard Mauve 40 Ends
Maysville Navy Blue 20 ends + 1 floating end
Pattern Weft Picks: 360 (9 pattern repeats)
Weft Pick Color Sequence: Maysville Colonial Blue 20 picks
Maurice Brassard Lilac 40 picks
Maysville Colonial Green 40 picks
Maysville Chalk160 picks
Maysville Colonial Green 40 picks
Maurice Brassard Lilac 40 picks
Maysville Colonial Blue 20 picks
Notes:
Hems: 1-1/2 inch plain weave in Colonial Blue before and after the 9 pattern repeats
Loom Width: 23″ (allowing for 20% shrinkage)
Loom Length: 34″ (allowing for 20% shrinkage and hem)
Finishing: Washed with laundry detergent, dried in dryer, pressed then machine hemmed.
Finished Width: 19″
Finished Length: 27″
MAFA2023-030
This basic design was on the Handwoven Magazine website but woven in huck lace on 8 shafts. I liked the design and wanted to try some Swedish lace on 4 shafts so I modified the design and moved blocks around using weaving software. When I found a threading I liked, I could weave different towels by altering the treadling blocks and adding or deleting horizontal color stripes.
MAFA2023-021
This towel is 3/1 twill stripes of hand dyed yarn alternating with plain weave stripes. The plain weave stripes are sett at 20 epi and threaded straight draw on shafts 1-4. The twill stripes are sett at 30 epi and threaded straight draw on shafts 5-8. The warp had 340 ends of natural color for the plain weave stripes and 192 ends of hand dyed yarn for the twill stripes. The repeat shown in the draft was repeated 16 times and balanced with an end strip of natural. The treading in the draft weaves the wrong side of the towel up because that’s a simpler treadling for the 3/1 twill. The right side will have warp floats of the hand dyed yarn in the twill stripes.
MAFA2023-024
Woven with 8/2 hemp (40%)/organic cotton (60%) yarn in both the warp and weft, ordered from Gather Textiles.
444 ends at 20 epi for a little over 22 inches in the reed (10 dent, 2 ends/dent). About 19 inches finished width.
Length was about 36″ under tension on the loom including hem. Finished length ~25 inches.
Hems were woven in pattern with 16/2 cotton, machine sewn.
Woven on a Macomber B5A 24″ floor loom (“Joanie”).
MAFA2023-025
I’m a beginner, so while the pattern called for 20 ppi, I was unable to beat that close. So I adjusted the pattern’s weft instructions and used 16ppi. I wove this on a 4 shaft table loom.
MAFA2023-016
6 repeats on the threading. Outside 2 are the floating selvage.
Weft:
1.5″ border,
Edge
13 repeats of middle section
Edge
1.5″ border.
Part of a 4 Season Towel kit by Lunatic Fridge Yarns by Mary Berent