Pattern from Handwoven May / June 2020
Tom Knisely
Huck Lace Napkins adapted to make towel
8/2 cotton warp/weft
578warp ends sett at 24 EPI. 2/ dent in a 12 dent reed
Hand stitched hems
MAFA2025-3964
MAFA2025-3962
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.
MAFA2025-3957
The warp is a randomly arranged assortment of yarns in the brown and tan family with a black weft. Warp measured in groups of 6 and then threaded randomly through the heddles. 504 ends.
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188 Warp Ends; remember when following Dixon’s patterns that the draft does show the threading needed to “balance” the stripes.
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The piece is woven using Deborah Silver’s split-shed technique. I hand-drew the cartoon for the pickup oatterning.
I warped my table loom with enough for two runners. The first I cut off and used for a weaving guild challenge. This is the completed one shown in the photos. This photo is not great because it wasn’t taken for the purpose of exhibition entry. I gave this one away as part of the challenge/exchange. The one to be submitted is underway but not quite finished. (I need to finish it before MAFA because this is on my table loom and I will need the loom for a workshop.) One of the photos shows it as it is currently on the loom.
Finishing was a bit of a challenge. I steamed it rather than immersing it in water because I wasn’t sure how all of the different fibers would react. It shrank quite a bit. The photos don’t show it clearly but the wool portions fluffed up and created a nice dimensional effect.
The draft shows the structure without patterning.
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This draft was fun to weave and I love the texture of the finished towel (machine washed and dried). I wove some on this warp with 8/4 cotton as well, the squares were bigger, but they were nice as well.
MAFA2025-3879
This yardage will be used to weave two tote bags of my own design. I wound a 3 yd warp using 414 ends of 16/2 linen and 2 selvedge threads on each side using 16/3 linen. The width on the loom was 23 inches. Yardage off loom and unwashed is 70 inches in length and 22 inches in width. I am anticipating about an addition inch or two decrease in width after washing.
I used a temple while weaving and made sure to mist the warp and linen bobbins to avoid fraying or breaking. I varied the colors of the wool pattern weft to simulate spring flowers.
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This reversible rug was designed as a three-end tied unit weave and woven using shaft-switching. The selvedges were card-woven. The gold color was hand-dyed.
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I designed this towel using a the traditional blooming leaf profile draft. I then used (432); (321);(214); and (143) as the blocks 4,3,2,1 respectively to substitute into the profile draft.
I used 486 ends plus two floating selvages.
MAFA2025-3816
Finished towel is 18.5″, (22″ on loom) x 26″. The 2″ plain weave at the start and finish is used for the hem.
12 dent reed used, sleighed 2121.
Atwater Bronson is heavy on shaft 1 with 198 threads on shaft 1, 74 on shaft 2, 44 on shaft 3 and 80 on shaft 4. For a total 396 ends