This Handweaving.net draft was enhanced with the use of color warp stripes and can then be woven in a number of complementary weft colors. I found some errors in the original draft which I corrected and changed the widths of the straight twill, braided twill and half-basket elements and half-basket weave sections.
I used Bluegrass Mills 6/2 cotton for both warp and weft. There were 410 ends sett at 20 epi. Towels were finished with a handsewn hem then machine washed and dried.
I used 2 patterns – one was Rosalie Neilson’s from her class and one of my own created in the class. There are 4 colors in both the warp and weft. I experimented with different colors in the weft. Floating selvedges were used. There was about 15% shrinkage.
Delightful Weave. Fantastic fabric. Total number of ends: 498. Increased EPI at selvedges. Serged and Hemmed.
My weaving Study Group had a plan for a towel exchange this year. I was inspired by bright colors and designed a very colorful warp to include a mixture of smooth cotton yarns and boucle. I planned some color mixing in the warp with sections of warp alternating between a smooth cotton and a cotton boucle thread. As I came to the end of my warp, I decided to experiment with some zanshi weaving using the thrums saved from my other weaving projects. I had to use care in what I chose as weft to ensure the colors did not clash with the very colorful warp. I wove a little and planned my further wefts by how the color of the woven wefts interacted with the warp. As the cloth developed, I tied more thrums to contrast the previous wefts, using care not to create a muddled mess. As the cloth grew I realized I had enough warp left to weave a whole towel! Wefts used varied from 6 strand embroidery floss (used sparingly), 10/2, 8/2, 8/4 cotton and cotton boucle.
Upon completion, I decided to enter this towel in the MAFA exchange with the hope that it will inspire others to use thrums to create cloth that not only is useful and fun, but is environmentally friendly as well. I hope you will enjoy this towel.
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.
This is actually a variation of the above draft. I was inspired by similar variation I’d seen in a Facebook weaving group. I loved the way she had highlighted one repeat of the design instead of repeating it across the whole towel – she had also turned the whole thing however since this was my first step away from using a warp “recipe” I decided not to attempt that. The designing experience was… humbling. I learned a lot of what not to do – but luckily I got there in the end and I’m really pleased with the finished product.
The finished towels were machine washed in warm water and dried on high heat. Then pressed and hems hand sewn.
The attached draft only accounts for the center. Repeat the first 15 ends as needed to center the threading in your warp.
455 ends – 1 end 6/2 and 2 ends 20/2 per dent in 8 dent reed.
Warp: white thick, white thin
Weft: blue thick, white thin
Used Bluegrass Mills 6/2 cotton from Woolery for thick warp and weft and UKI 20/2 for thin warp and weft.
Used floating selvedges.
Several other patterns on same threading from her book that I plan to try next.
Also want to try using a colored thin weft.
Pattern shows much better after washing and pressing.
I used the Brighton Honey Comb towels in Handwoven as a starting point for my springy towels. I decided on 7 stripes of each 3 colors. Each group of three colors was separated by a thinner stripe of white and every stripe had a border color of navy blue. There are a total of 458 ends. The Honey Comb structure lends a nice texture to the towels as well as an interesting jagged edge to each stripe. I enjoyed weaving these towels and the challenge (for me!) of planning all the stripes/color layout.
I made a few small changes to the draft (especially the tie-up, so I could walk the treadling) but none of my changes alter the result in any significant way and credit for this design belongs fully with Ms. Hall.
This towel used 368 ends and was woven on a Glimåkra Standard. It was 143 grammes after hemming but before wet finishing. I wove with the weft threads wetted.
In the reed it was 15 .25″.
Off the loom it was 15″ and trimmed to 33″ in length. After hemming it was 15″ x 31.5″
After wet finishing it is 14.5″ x 30.75″
The hand-painted stripes were dyed using Procion MX Fiber Reactive dyes.
I used a different color weft for each towel.