Shafts: 4

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″

MAFA2023-025

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.

MAFA2023-024

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”).

MAFA2023-016

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

MAFA2023-015

On the .wif, the first 14 thread is one edge of the towel and the other edge is the last 32 threads. Repeat the 40 threads in the middle as often as needed for the towel you are weaving. I overestimated the shrinkage of my weaving, so this is a big towel.

Warping this towel was a lot of work because of all the thread changes. I like what I got, but I am not sure I would do it again. I create a three page spreadsheet to make sure that I got all the threads in the right order while warping and then used those sheets for my threading also.

I like the towels I made, but not sure if I would do this again. I did accomplish one of my goals which was to use up some of my stash. I have a lot more of the yarns I used in the weft.

MAFA2023-013

This was the first project I wove on my first loom, an older 12-shaft Macomber that took me over 9 months to refurbish. The towels turned out better than I had hoped, so of course I put them away “for posterity”. I couldn’t bear to let my husband misuse / stain them! Now, many weaving successes and failures later, I realize how silly that was, so I’m giving them away.

MAFA2023-010

The wider stripes in the warp are randomly placed, as is the order of the 4 pinstripe colors throughout. The warp is 506 threads plus 4 FS, 2 on each side.
The weft repeats two more times, using a different color pattern (Chambray/Denim/Natural) of Plain Weave and reversed the treadling of the Balanced Twill in the middle section. The third section matches the first section. I designed and wove so each section was section 11″ on the loom.
Edges were a struggle given the different draw in of PW and Twill. Two Floating Selvedges on each side helper keep the edges neat but not straight.
Chambray Blue is the only actual color that matches between warp and weft.
Colors used were all Maurice Brassard.
Warp: Chambray, Jeans, Honey and Creme. Weft: Chambray, Natural, Juane and Denim.
I used 20/2 Cotton in Natural to weave 1.5″ on each end for a less bulky hem.
Finished size is 20″ wide by 28.5″ long.

MAFA2023-001

This towel is woven in the colors of the Norwegian flag to reflect Caroline Halvorson’s 1904 pattern and my Norwegian heritage. The selvedge has a denser sett, as described by Dixon in her book, A Handweaver’s Pattern Book. Ends Ends 5-8 and 400-403 have two 8/2 threads through each heddle instead of one, and they are sett at 4 ends per dent. Therefore, 407 ends show in this pattern, yet 815 are warped in order to fill the double-threaded heddles.

Weft: Tabby weft – 16/2 unmercerized cotton, color – natural. Pattern weft – 6/2 unmercerized cotton, doubled in each pick. Colors: Royal blue and Cranberry red from the Woolery. The pattern weft overshot throws are shown, also use 16/2 tabby.

I wove the hanging tab of 16/2 unmercerized cotton in a warp-faced plain weave.