0314 HW-WT Beginners Relaunch Freemium

Free Hand Weaving Projects for Beginners:
Simple, Elegant, and Colorful Handwoven Placemats and Handwoven Towels from
TM
© F+W MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. F+W MEDIA GRANTS PERMISSION FOR ANY OR ALL PAGES
IN THIS ISSUE TO BE COPIED FOR PERSONAL USE. WEAVINGTODAY.COM
Simple, Elegant, and Colorful Handwoven Placemats and Handwoven Towels from TM
Anything But Plain

Twelve Placemats On One Warp!
by Janet Dawson
From Handwoven, November/December 2007; pp. 28–30.
These placemats are all about color—and lots of it! The weave structure could not be simpler (just plain weave!), and the
weaving is almost too easy. But watching the constantly shifting warp colors and using a different weft color for each
placemat will hold your weaving interest for all of the eight yards. And when you are finished weaving, you’ll have
twelve different but beautifully coordinated placemats from just one warp!
2 © F+W MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. F+W MEDIA GRANTS PERMISSION FOR ANY
OR ALL PAGES IN THIS ISSUE TO BE COPIED FOR PERSONAL USE. WEAVINGTODAY.COM
T
he secret that gives this fabric a lively texture among the five ends occurs between the back beam and
is the seemingly random warp color order the heddles and is not a problem when tension is applied
and the fact that every fourth and fifth warp during weaving.) The method described here is adapted
thread work together. The random color order masks from one used by Laura Fry; see Resources.
the regular spacing of the doubled ends and tricks
the eye into thinking they, too, are randomly placed. Design suggestions
As an added bonus, extra-bold lines of color (that For regular stripes rather than random ones, thread
also seem to occur randomly) stand out wherever the every group of five threads the same way. Or, you
doubled ends happen to be the same color. can reverse the order from one group to the next for
wider, mirrored stripes.
Warping tips There are many ways to design a color palette for
Many warp colors in an irregular order usually mean fre- this project other than the one used here—see the
quent cutting and tying at color changes when you wind May/June 2007 issue of Handwoven for ideas. The
the warp. Happily, this is not the case here! Five threads, two light, one medium, and two dark hues of this
each a different color, are wound together on the warping project warp are successful with a wide variety of weft
board. The warp is beamed with lease sticks in the cross colors, but other schemes will be equally pleasing.
formed by these groups of five threads, and the colors are Whatever you choose, you’ll be delighted by the color
selected randomly from each group as they are threaded. blending that happens with each different weft.
This process requires a back-to-front warping meth-
od. (If this warp were threaded before beaming, as in Resources
front-to-back warping, the five grouped ends would snarl Fry, Laura. CD Weaver Series: You have to be Warped.
at the heddles. With back-to-front warping, any twisting Prince George, British Columbia: Laura Fry, 2004.
PROJECT at-a-glance
Weave structure for runner Amounts include 3 yd of each color to unply for ends
Plain weave. and hemstitching.
Equipment Yarn sources
2- or 4-shaft loom, 14" weaving width; 10-dent reed; Unmercerized cotton and acrylic (Orlec) are available
1 shuttle; two 1" × 15" spacers (cardboard or mini-blinds). from Maurice Brassard et Fils.
Yarns Warp order and length
Warp: 8/2 unmercerized cotton (3,360 yd/lb, Naturel 280 ends 9 yd long (allows 26" for take-up, 33" for
#100 (natural) and Olive #1244 (olive); 8/2 acrylic loom waste).
(3,360 yd/lb), Indigo #917 (blue), Mais #935 (yellow),
Warp and weft spacing
and Havane #922 (copper), 504 yd 22⁄5 oz) each.
Warp: 20 epi (2/dent in a 10-dent reed). Width in the
Weft: 8/8 unmercerized cotton (840 yd/lb), 80 yd (13⁄5
reed: 14".
oz) per placemat. Colors for placemats on page 2, left
Weft: 9 ppi. Woven length (measured under tension on
to right: Framboise #5193 (raspberry), Orange Pâle
the loom): 201⁄4" each placemat, 265" total; includes 2"
#1315 (tangerine), Rouille #1316 (rust), Mauve #5153
fringe between mats.
(dk purple), Plum #1732 (purple), Bleu #756 (lt blue),
Sapin #5536 (green), Denim #5132 (blue), Seaton Finished dimensions
#5110 (lt green), Bourgogne #1770 (rose), Cham- After washing, amounts produce twelve placemats
ois #5069 (lt yellow), and Vieil Or #1418 (gold). 121⁄2" × 17" each plus 1" fringe.
Steps for Weaving the Twelve Placemats
1 Wind a warp of 280 total ends 9 yd long holding 5 ends

together (1 end each of Naturel, Olive, Indigo, Mais,
and Havane). To do this, put a spool of each color on
a. Make a spool
rack with stacking
crates and dowels:
Hang spools (all
a spool rack (if you don’t have one, improvise one as turning in the
in Photo a). You do not need to separate the threads same direction) on
dowels and insert
with your fingers as you wind. Because the 5 threads are the dowels through
wound together without an individual cross, a back-to- the sides of the
front warping method must be used (beaming before crates. Bring each
thread through a
threading). For complete warping steps, see Resources
different hole in
at handwovenmagazine.com. the front side of
the crate.
2 Spread the warp in a raddle centering for 14", place

lease sticks in the cross, and beam the warp under
firm and even tension.
1. Drafts for placemats
4
3
2
3
4
2
1 1 1
3
/
To thread: Identify the first group of 5 threads on the 5 5 /
4 4
lease sticks. Smooth them so they are aligned (in any 3 3
order) and thread them in that order. Take up the next 2
1 1
2
group; they are likely to be in a slightly different order. /

/
Thread them in their order, and continue. If the colors of
consecutive groups of 5 fall in the same order, feel free
to change them to maintain a random look. The only rule
is that the 5 warp threads in each group stay together
6 Leaving an 8/2 cotton tail three and a half times the
width of the warp, entering the shed from the right, and
starting with the left treadle, weave 4 picks with the
in one threading repeat to distribute the colors evenly 8/2, ending with the right treadle. Change sheds. Cut
across the width of the warp. Note that the repeat on the 8/2, tuck its end into the new shed from the right,
four shafts begins and ends on shaft 1, which places 2 and start the 8/8 cotton weft from the left. Weave
threads next to each other on shaft 1 as each new repeat plain weave with 8/8 cotton. After 1", hemstitch the
is threaded. (If you have more than four shafts, you can beginning with the 8/2 tail. Include 2 picks and 5 ends
use the 5-shaft draft for a more straightforward thread- in each stitch, keeping the doubled ends together. Then
ing order.) continue weaving until the placemat measures 20". End
the 8/8 weft on the left side. With a second length of
4 Sley 2/dent in a 10-dent reed, tie the warp onto the

front apron rod, and weave a header with scrap yarn
in plain weave to spread the warp.
8/2 cotton, tuck an end into the same shed from the
right, change sheds, and weave 4 picks. Hemstitch as
at the beginning. Insert two spacers for fringe. Repeat
for each of 12 placemats using a different weft color for
5 Each placemat uses a single color of 8/8 unmercer-

ized cotton weft throughout, but begins and ends with
4 picks and hemstitching in a finer (8/2) unmercer-
each. You can experiment with colors other than those
shown here; the neutral warp colors will go with almost
any colors you choose. Remove spacers to hemstitch at
ized cotton of the same color. The 8/8 unmercerized
the beginning of each mat and insert them after you’ve
cotton used here is actually four plies of 8/2 cotton.
hemstitched it at the end.
For each placemat, cut a length of 8/8 cotton 3 yd
long and separate the plies to produce four 3-yd
lengths (you’ll need two of them for each mat). Wind
the 8/8 cotton on the bobbin of a boat shuttle. You
7 Remove the fabric from the loom; remove spacers.
Machine wash, warm water, gentle cycle, with mild
detergent. Air- or machine-dry, low, but hard press
can use your fingers or a stick shuttle to weave with with steam while still slightly damp. Cut placemats
the 8/2 cotton. apart; trim fringes evenly.
Elegant Placemats
by Suzie Liles
From Handwoven, November/December 2009; pp. 60–61.
S
ome years ago, I supported myself by selling my choice. Placemats in natural also look more elegant—
weaving at craft shows and outdoor markets. or formal—than colors and make great wedding gifts.
My best sellers were these placemats, and I sold The estimated times given here are much longer
hundreds of them. My favorite testimonial came from than it takes me. After a few sets, you will get to be very
a bed-and-breakfast owner: she returned to buy more fast, close to halving these times.
because the placemats washed so well and were so easy I sold my placemats at about $50 a set, though they
to use with varied table settings. should bring more now (four sets can be woven from a
The placemats can be woven in any colors, not just $30 three-pound cone). You’ll be able to weave four sets
natural. Natural yarn can be half the price of dyed in about twenty hours to start—much less as you
yarn, however, so natural was my most profitable practice!
1. Draft for placemats

PROJECT at-a-glance 13x 12x 13x 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
4 4 4 4 4 4 4
3 3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Weave structure for runner 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2
1 1 1
Huck and huck lace. /
2"
1
/
/
Equipment Wind a warp of 177 ends 3 ⁄2 yd long 1
/
/
4-shaft loom, 15" weaving width; 12-dent reed; (add 24" for each additional mat). /
/ 18x
Use your preferred method to warp
1 shuttle. /
/
the loom following Figure 1. /
huck
Yarns /
2
/
Warp: 3/2 pearl cotton (1,260 yd/lb, Eugene Textile Weave following the selected /
/
/
Center), natural, 620 yd. Weft: 3/2 pearl cotton, treadling in Figure 1 for each /
/
natural, 420 yd. placemat, hemstitching as shown /
/ 2"
below. Allow 4" unwoven warp
Yarn sources between mats for fringe.
/
2"
/
Unmercerized cotton and acrylic (Orlec) are /
3
/
available from Maurice Brassard et Fils. Remove the fabric from the loom /
/
/
and machine wash, gentle cycle. 18x
Warp length /
/
Machine dry. Remove and press huck lace
177 ends 31⁄2 yd long (allows 4" for take-up, 30" /
/
while still partly damp. Trim fringe /
for loom waste; loom waste includes fringe). evenly to 11⁄2". /
/
Warp and weft spacing /
/
4
/
Warp: 12 epi (1/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weave all four mats in huck (top /
/ 2"
Weft: 12 ppi. mat in the photo on page 5), in
/
huck lace (middle mat), or in / 2"
Finished dimensions huck boxes (bottom mat)—or
/
/
Width in the reed: 143⁄4". Woven length: 20" per weave mixed sets.
/
/
placemat plus fringe. Finished sizes: four placemats /
/
18x
huck boxes
13" × 18" each with 11⁄2" fringe at the ends. /

/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/ 2"
/
The fastest hemstitching

Thread a weft tail three times as long as the warp width into a needle. Take the needle under the first 5 warp threads,
around those 5 and up inside the loop made by the stitch (a). *For the next 5 warp threads, take the needle down at
the right of the 5 threads 2 weft rows above the bottom and bring it back up at the bottom left of the 5 threads (b).
Take the needle around these 5 threads again and bring it up inside the loop made by the stitch (c). Repeat from *.
a b c
PHOTOS BY SUZIE LILES

Handwoven is the premiere resource
for everyone interested in weaving,
from beginners to seasoned
professionals.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
handwovenmagazine.com
Playing with Stripes

by Jean Korus
From Handwoven, March/April 2003; pp. 24–27.
Striped and plaid towels ■ Follow the color order in Figure 1, reading from
right to left. The section in brackets is repeated
Almost nothing is as satisfying as weaving dish towels.
three times. Begin by winding 40 ends of white (ten
You’ll find these towels easy and fun to weave and a
complete rounds of the warping board holding two
pleasure to use. When planning a warp for towels, I
ends together). Be sure to keep a finger between the
usually allow one yard per towel plus loom waste. This
two threads as you wind so they cannot twist around
amount provides a little extra for experimenting.
each other. Then wind 4 blue (one complete round
You can weave a great variety of different towels
of two ends), then 4 white, and continue. When you
on a striped warp by varying color orders in the weft,
have wound the last 4 blue threads in the repeat,
so you’ll want to put on a long warp. The pleasure
wind all the threads in the brackets again, and then
of playing with colors as you weave makes the extra
wind them a third time. End with 40 white.
warping time worth every minute.
■ se whatever method you are most comfortable
U
with to warp your loom. This can be front-to-back
Preparing the loom or back-to-front. If you need a warping refresher,
Review the directions in Project at-a glance (page 11) go to Weaving Today (Free Resources/How-To
to make sure you have the equipment and materials Instructions) or review warping steps in Learning to
you need. Add the totals of yarn required under Yarns Weave by Deborah Chandler.
for both warp and weft. If you are purchasing yarn ■ I f you sley the reed before you thread (i.e., front-
for the project, you will probably want to get 11⁄2 lb of to-back), mark the center of the reed and measure
white 8/2 unmercerized cotton, 1⁄2 lb of blue (you need 123⁄4" from the center to one side and begin sleying
6 oz) and 3⁄4 to 1 lb of yellow (you need a little over 9 at this point; this will center the warp on the loom.
oz). 8/2 cotton is always useful to have on hand, so If you use a raddle for beaming before threading,
having some left over is not a bad thing. use the same method with the raddle.
There are several ways to wind a multicolored
■ hen you beam the warp, it is important to ensure
W
warp, but usually, if you are fairly new to warping,
that the warp is wound evenly and firmly around
winding all of the colors in their correct order on the
the beam. It should look like a cylinder, with no
board is the most foolproof. First check the warp
difference in diameter between center and edges.
color order in Figure 1, page 11 (read right to left).
Be sure your packing material (thick paper or
Note that the smallest number of consecutive ends of
warping sticks) extends at least 1" beyond the edges
one color is four. This means that you can hold two
of the warp.
threads together as you wind since you’ll have four
total threads if you make one complete round (from ■ T
hread the loom following the draft in Figure 2, page
first peg to last peg and back) on the board with two 11. The threading is a “straight draw,” i.e., 1-2-3-4.
threads. You may have to wind off a ball of yarn so that With it, you can weave plain weave (raising 1-3 vs
you have two yarn packages to wind from. Put any balls 2-4) or twill (1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-1). Note that there are
in a gallon jar or deep bowl to keep them from tangling 508 ends distributed evenly on the shafts—you’ll
with threads coming from other balls or cones. need 127 heddles on each shaft. It’s a good idea to
You can cut and tie each new color to the old one count and move them before you start threading.
or you can try moving the yarn packages you are not ■ Tie the warp onto the front apron rod in small groups
using out of the way to the side of the warping board, of threads, about 1⁄2" each. Take the group over the
wrapping the strands a turn or two around a bottom apron rod, divide it in two, and bring the two parts
peg, and unwrapping and bringing them back up as you back up to tie over the undivided group. Tie one half
need them. This can be awkward, but it does save time. of a square knot for each group first, and then, when
all groups are tied this way, go back and complete the
Designing Stripes square knot for each one. Start in the center and work
out, alternating sides. Make the knots snug, not tight,
Designing with stripes is easy and fun! Try using water and tie each group with the same degree of snugness.
colors or colored pencils and and simply paint or draw The width of the warp at the apron rod should be
stripes on graph paper. When you find some you like, exactly the same as in the reed.
keep playing with their proportions. It is helpful to stand
back and look at them from a distance. When you are Weaving the towels
satisfied, yarn wraps are a good next step. They can help
you see how the actual colors of the yarn interact with
■ U
sing the white weft, weave several picks of plain
each other. weave. Check to see that the fell of the cloth forms
Towels are a great way to experiment with stripe a straight line. Where it waves toward the reed, the
design. They are easy to weave, and if you don’t like warp threads are too loose. Where it waves toward
the way they turn out, they will still dry dishes! you, they are to tight. Tighten or loosen knots on
Stripes can be designed for both warp and weft. the apron rod as needed.
You can use weft stripes to make borders or create a I t is a weaver’s chore to figure out exactly how
plaid by repeating them throughout a piece. An easy much weft in the shed prevents drawing in but
design step is to make a symmetrical plaid by using the does not form unsightly loops at the selvedges.
same stripe sequence in the weft as in the warp, but The best way to achieve both goals is to place the
using other sequences can be much more interesting. weft in the shed at about a 30-degree angle; then,
The first two towels on this warp are woven with
making sure that it is snug at the selvedge, close
an all-white weft, one in plain weave and one in twill, to
the shed and beat. If you beat on an open shed, you
make stripes in the warp direction only. Towels 3 and
4 show weft stripes as borders, and Towels 5–7 are
might inadvertently flatten the weft, removing the
striped throughout to form plaids. angle that is important for allowing weft take-up.
When weaving borders, weave the first border ■ When the fell is even, weave Towel 1 in plain weave
and then measure from the beginning of the towel. with the white weft for 34" (11⁄2" at each end is used
Multiply this number by 2 and subtract the product for hems). Weave the second towel in twill for 34"
from the desired length of the towel to determine (see Figure 1). Separate the towels with a thread
how long to weave the center section. For example, of a contrasting color. When you weave twill, first
in Towel 4 the border (including the 11⁄2" allowance
try starting the treadling sequence with the shuttle
for hems) measures about 101⁄2". Therefore, for a 34"
entering from the left, and then try starting the
towel, weave 13" using only white in the center (101⁄2"
sequence with the shuttle entering from the right. The
x 2 = 21"; 34" – 21"= 13").
Any stripe arrangement that you use for a border weft will catch all the selvedge threads starting from
can be repeated throughout the towel to make a plaid. one side (choose this one), but not from the other.
Towel 5 uses the same stripe sequence as the border ■ Weave Towels 3–7 following the color orders given
in Towel 4, except it is repeated three times. The space in Figures 3a–3c in either plain weave or twill.
between repeats must be calculated to achieve the
As you weave, keep a measuring tape beside you. Count
desired length; in this case 31⁄2" is allowed between
the number of weft threads per inch and work to
repeats. Towels 6 and 7 show two different plaids.
The same colors are used in warp and weft for maintain a consistent beat of about 20 picks per inch.
these towels, but you can use different colors for both. Figures 3a–3c show how many picks or inches
You’ll find that you’ll have the most fun if you try new to weave of each color. Measure the height of each
combinations, so run wild! stripe sequence as you weave and try to see that
mirrored stripes in the same towel are the same size.
To begin and end weft colors, 1. Warp color order 3a. Towel 3
bring each weft tail around an 3x
232 40 4 4 4 4 4 4 40 white
edge thread and back into the 84 4 4 12 4 4 blue
192 32 32 yellow
shed for about 1". Begin a weft 508
on the opposite side from which
w
ite
2. Draft for towels
llo
e
the previous weft ended in the
blu
wh
ye
4 12"
plain-weave towels to reduce 127x 1 12"
4 4 4 4 4
selvedge bulk. Changing sides 3 3 3 3 4
6
in the twill towels may throw 2 2 2 2 6

1 1 1 1 4
6
off the order that catches all plain / / 4
/ / 1 12"
selvedge threads. weave
/ 14"
/ 1 12"
twill 4
Finishing the towels 4

6
6
4
■ Remove the towels from the 6
4
loom. Machine zigzag on both 1 12"
4 12"
sides of contrasting threads
and cut towels apart. Turn up
edges 1⁄2" and then 1⁄2" again for
each hem. Machine stitch with
a slightly longer stitch than for
a regular seam.
■ Machine wash in warm
water with a small amount of
detergent and machine dry.
Press while slightly damp. Towel 1 (plain weave) Towel 2 (right, twill)
PROJECT at-a-glance
Weave structure for runner Warp order and length
Plain weave and 2/2 twill. 508 ends 7 1⁄2 yd long (allows 32" for take-up and loom
Equipment waste) following the color order in Figure 1. Add or
4-shaft loom, 26" weaving width; 10-dent reed; 3 shuttles. subtract 1 yd from warp length for a different number
of towels.
Yarns
Warp: 8/2 unmercerized cotton (3,360 yd/lb), white, Warp and weft spacing
1,740 yd (81⁄3 oz); blue, 630 yd (3 oz); yellow, 1,440 yd Warp: 20 epi (2/dent in a 10-dent reed). Width in the
(67⁄8 oz). reed: 252⁄5".
Weft: 8/2 unmercerized cotton (3,360 yd/lb), white, Weft: about 20 ppi. Woven length (measured under
2,500 yd (12 oz); blue, 609 yd (3 oz); yellow, 470 yd tension on the loom): 30–35". (Length will vary
(21⁄4 oz). depending on the number of picks per inch.)
Yarn sources Finished dimensions

8/2 cotton is available from most weaving suppliers. Amounts produce seven hemmed towels, 211⁄4"× 27–31".
3b. Towels 4 and 5
w
ite
ite
llo
llo
e
e
blu
blu
wh
wh
ye
ye
4 12" 3"
10 10
4 4
15 15
4 4
50 50 2x
4 4
15 15
4 4
10 10
13" 3 12"
10 10
4 4
15 15
4 4
50 50
4 4
15 15
4 4
3c. Towels 6 and 7 10 10
4 12" 3"
w
ite
llo
e
blu
wh
ye
3 12"
4
4
4
w
4
ite
llo
e
20
blu
wh
ye
4
3"
30
15
4
4
4
40
4
2x
4
30
15 2x 4
4
20
40
4
4
4
15
4
2" 4
15 2 12"
4
40 4
4 4
15 4
4 4
40 20
4 4
15 30
3" 4
4
4
30
4
20
4
4
4
4
3 12"
Huck Windows
Dish Towels in Linen and Lace
by Marjorie Erickson
From Handwoven, May/June 2003; pp. 28–31.
I
n the spring of 2001, the Mountain Loom
Company announced a contest for weaving guilds.
The challenge was to weave a 4-shaft huck dish
Lace Tips
towel on a Mountain Loom. The grand prize for the
guild with the winning towel was an 8-shaft Moun-
tain Table Loom. I belong to the Olympia Weavers
Guild in Olympia, Washington, which sponsors
several weaving workshops each year. The possibility
of winning a loom for guild members to use in our
workshops was extremely tempting!
I decided that for a dish towel, linen must be
the fiber of choice. Since I had no prior experience
using either huck lace or linen, I gathered up all of
the pertinent weaving books and magazines from my
library and got to work. Using the huck design paper
in The Complete Book of Drafting for Handweavers (see
Resources) and a pencil, I constructed a number of
4-shaft huck designs. Two of them made it to the
loom. The design used for the towel shown here is the
one that my guild liked best. It also won a loom for us!
Since then, I have woven many different towels
Experiment with designing huck in squares of different
using the same design. Playing with a wide range of colors by making several yarn wraps.
yarns and colors can be very rewarding. Yarn wraps
are a great way to explore the possibilities of color
juxtaposition. Cut a strip of cardboard or mat board The towels
about 11⁄2" × 5" and wrap yarn around the cardboard For two towels, wind a warp following Figure 2, page 17,
to duplicate the number of ends of the desired color and the Project at-a-glance, page 15. Yarn amounts allow
in the finished woven piece. 28" loom waste. If you are new to linen and lace, wind
3 yards instead of 21⁄2 so you can practice your beat; lace
designs look best if woven to square.
Huck Linen can require some extra care. After winding
Huck is one of several structures in a category we call the warp, tie a choke at every yard in addition to tying
lace weaves; see A Glossary of Lace Weaves below. In the cross. Before removing the warp from the warping
huck, alternate groups of threads (usually five in each board, mist it lightly to discourage curling. Beam with
group) weave either plain weave or floats. When warp firm and even tension.
and weft floats alternate, lacy holes form between To make the pattern easier to see as you weave,
them (this is called huck lace). When plain weave and sley the reed so that the 3 center threads of each
floats alternate, delicious little circles show in the 5-thread huck group fall in the same dent: In an
plain weave (this is called huck or huck texture). Both 8-dent reed, sley 2 in the first dent (centering for
effects are most visible when warp and weft are the 167⁄8", then sley 2–3 five times, then 2, and then 2–3
same color and light in value. Notice the small circles across the width of the warp. End by sleying the last
formed by the blue threads in the photo above right 6 warp threads 2/dent. (The 5-thread huck groups
and the pink threads in the photo on page 16. should be sleyed as shown in Figure 1.)
To wind the bobbins, fold a small square of damp, the center before closing the shed will help prevent
tightly woven cloth around the linen yarn while it excessive draw-in.
is winding. This will not only help in the bobbin Hemstitch over the last weft pick, encircling 5
winding process, but it will also spare your finger and warp threads in each stitch. Open the next shed and
thumb from yarn burn. insert a 1⁄16" dowel. Leaving a tail of weft at least three
times as long as the width of the warp, change sheds
Weaving the towels and weave 11 additional shots of plain weave with
yellow. Slightly loosen the tension on the warp and
When you are ready to weave, lightly mist the warp in
pull out the dowel. Thread the tail in a needle and
front of the reed and place a damp towel on the warp
hemstitch over the first weft row of the 11, again
behind the shafts. I soak my wound bobbins in water
encircling 5 warp threads per group. Weave the body
and pat them dry prior to using them. (If you follow
of the towel following Figure 1; end with the same
these steps, the weaving has to proceed in a timely
steps for the dowel and the hemstitching as at the
manner. Wet bobbins and warp cannot be left for
beginning, but in reverse.
weeks unattended.) Kati Reeder Meek, an expert in
linen weaving, puts a humidifier under the loom and
weaves with dry bobbins. If your environment is a bit Finishing
humid, adding moisture may be unnecessary. Apply Fray Check to the beginning and ending weft
For the hem, weave 30 picks of plain weave rows of each towel, allow to dry, and cut towels apart.
(treadles 3 and 4 in Figure 1) with yellow. Place the Press under 1⁄4" and then another 1⁄2" at each end.
weft in the shed, close the shed, beat lightly, open the Sew hems by hand. Machine wash twice, using hot
next shed, and beat very firmly. Bubbling the weft in water for the wash cycle and cold water for the rinse
PROJECT at-a-glance
Weave structure for towels Room and Halcyon Yarn, 16/2 (Bockens) linen from
Huck and plain weave. Lone Star Loom Room, 20/2 linen from Webs.
Equipment Notions and other supplies
4-shaft loom, 17" weaving width; 8-dent reed; Matching sewing thread, Fray Check.
3 shuttles, tapestry needle, 1⁄16" × 18" dowel.
Warp order and length
Yarns 335 ends 21⁄2 yd long, following Figure 2 (allows 28" for
Warp: 22/2 cottolin (3,500 yd/lb), yellow #272, 463 yd loom waste). Add 1⁄2 yd to warp length for sampling.
(21⁄8 oz); 20/2 linen (3,000 yd/lb), Royal, 225 yd
(11⁄5 oz); 16/2 linen (2,400 yd/lb), bleached white, Warp and weft spacing
150 yd (1 oz). Warp: 20 epi (2–3/dent in an 8-dent reed; see page 30
Weft: 22/2 cottolin (3,500 yd/lb), yellow #272, 315 yd for sleying instructions). Width in the reed: 167⁄8".
(11⁄2 oz); 20/2 linen (3,000 yd/lb), Royal, 155 yd (7⁄8 Weft: 20 ppi. Woven length (measured under tension on
oz); 16/2 linen (2,400 yd/lb), bleached white, 103 yd the loom): 28" for each towel.
(7⁄10 oz). Finished dimensions
Yarn sources After washing, amounts produce two towels, each
22/2 (Borgs) cottolin is available from Lone Star Loom 15" × 23" hemmed.
cycle. Roll each towel onto a cardboard tube

and place it in the freezer until frozen stiff. A Glossary of Lace Weaves
Remove, allow to thaw a bit, and then press
both sides with an iron on the linen setting. Atwater-Bronson Lace—A unit weave with (usually) six
To prevent scorching, use a press cloth. warp ends and six weft picks in a unit. Each unit can produce
plain weave or lace. To produce lace, two of the six weft
picks float over (or under) five warp ends and are caught
Resources: Huck and Huck Lace by the sixth end, and two of the six warp ends float over (or
Bress, Helene. The Weaving Book. New York: under) five weft picks and are caught by the sixth pick.
Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1981, pp. 427–535. Gauze—A lacy effect in which warp ends cross to the left or
Davison, Marguerite. A Handweaver’s Pattern right of each other for one weft pick and then return to their
Book. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania: Marguerite original positions in the next pick. Crossings can be one over
one, two over two, three over three (or more) or a combina-
Davison, 1950, pp. 65–70, 79–82. tion of these.
Muller, Donna. Handwoven Laces. Loveland,
Huck and Huck Lace—A unit weave with at least six warp
Colorado: Interweave, 1991. ends and six weft picks in a full unit. The units are divided into
Neher, Evelyn. Four-Harness Huck. Guilford, half units, each with an odd number of ends and picks (usu-
Connecticut, 1981. ally three or five). Three interlacements are possible: a) plain
Strickler, Carol, ed. A Weaver’s Book of 8-shaft weave in both half units, b) warp or weft floats in one half unit
Patterns. Loveland, Colorado: Interweave, alternating with plain weave in the other (huck texture), and
1991, pp. 195–207. c) warp floats in one half unit alternating with weft floats in
the other (huck lace).
van der Hoogt, Madelyn. The Complete Book of
Lace Weaves—Simple weaves (weaves with one warp and
Drafting. Petaluma, California: Shuttle-Craft
one weft) in which floats are caused by an interruption of the
Books, 1993, pp. 59–68, 131. plain-weave interlacement. Lace weaves are a subgroup of
___, ed. The Best of Weaver’s: Huck Lace. Sioux spot weaves in which holes or spaces are designed to occur
Falls, South Dakota: XRX-Inc., 2000. as a result of adjacent areas of floats.
Leno—A lacy effect produced by areas of gauze (warp
crossings) contrasting with areas of plain weave or basket
weave.
Spot Weaves—Simple weaves (weaves with one warp and
one weft) in which pattern is formed by “spots,” or floats,
on (usually) a plain-weave background. A spot occurs when
a warp or weft thread skips its plain-weave interlacement;
on one surface of the cloth a weft float occurs; on the other
surface a warp float occurs. Block size is limited by the prac-
tical length of a float.
Swedish Lace—A lace block weave that probably developed
from huck. A tie-down thread is added to the 5-thread half
unit of huck so it can be repeated. The tie-down thread is on
the same shaft as the first thread of the next pattern block,
so at block changes, the tie-down thread must be omitted.
Because of this irregularity, Swedish lace is not a unit weave.
Woven lace is more effective with threads that
Traditional Swedish lace looks like Bronson lace except at
are light in value than with threads that are
block changes, where no tie-down thread appears.
dark. Light threads provide more contrast to
the darker shadows between them, thereby —The Complete Book of Drafting
revealing the spaces.
6x
12x 15x 1 2 3 4 5 6
1. Draft for 4 4 4
towels 3 3 3
2 2 2
1 1 1
a
15x
20/2 linen 22/2 cottolin 16/2 linen hemstitch
For each towel, weave:
= in one dent 5x
a to b 1x, b to d 4x, b
b to c 1x, d to e 1x.
2. Warp color order

5x
185 30 25 30 yellow 3. Heddle count
60 5 5 5 5 white
90 15 15 blue shaft 4 36
335 shaft 3 24
shaft 2 131
shaft 1 144
335
4. Weft color order

wh w
ite
llo
e
blu
ye
30
hemstitch 12x
11
5
15 9x
5
25
5
15
5
11
hemstitch
30
c
12x
d
5x
hemstitch
15x
e
Structure
Twill.
Spring Bouquet Towels Equipment

4-shaft loom, 25" weaving
width; 10-dent reed; 2 shut-
LAURA FRY
tles; 2 bobbins.
A variegated yarn can add zest to your weaving, but variegated yarns are often more Yarns
Warp: 8/2 unmercerized
expensive than solids, so I like to use them as an accent and a color inspiration.
cotton (3,360 yd/lb, Maurice
R
Brassard), color A, 1,000 yd;
ecently, a variegated 8/2 cotton became A and C are always chosen from the color B, 640 yd; color C, 320
available to go with the nice array of variegated yarn colors to bring out those yd; color D, 480 yd.
solids in my yarn palette. (The yarn I use is accents. For color B, I experimented. In the
Pink Blue Yellow Green
“warp twist” from Maurice Brassard.) The pink towel, the B stripe is a pale version of Towel Towel Towel Towel
first thing I do with a variegated yarn is to the main color. In the blue towel, B is A #1317 #112 #1512 #1831
Saumon Slate Jaune Vert
identify the colors in it. In this colorway halfway between the A and C colors; in the Pale Pale
called Sherbet, the colors are all a lighter yellow towel, it is a neutral; and in the green B #1525 #1410 #5212 #1410
Peche La- Honey Lavande
value. The main colors are green, blue, yellow, towel, it is opposite the main color on the vande
and peach. Where the blue and peach overlap color wheel. C #1512 #1768 #1525 #1512
Jaune Rose Peche Jaune
there is lavender. There is less yellow than any I used a cotton slub weft yarn to make the Pale Pale Pale
of the other colors, because a little yellow goes towels nice and absorbent, and I chose the D #9946
Sherbet
a long way! weft colors for their contribution to the Combo
I decided to design a set of towels to color effects in the towels. For the peach,
experiment with the colors in my new blue, and green towels, I used the main color Weft: Cotton slub, (3,750 yd/
lb, Maurice Brassard), 1,920
variegated yarn. (The project instructions (or as close as I could find in the cotton slub yd; 8/2 unmercerized cotton
are written so you can weave four towels in yarn). For the yellow towels, I wanted to (3,360 yd/lb, Maurice Brassard),
each of my colorways. You can pick your tone it down (because a little yellow really 144 yd.
favorite or go wild and weave them all.) does go a long way), so I chose natural for
Pink Blue Yellow Green
To begin my design, I came up with a two towels and ivory for the other two. Towel Towel Towel Towel
stripe sequence based on the colors in the Variegated yarns are a relatively new #640 #694 #600 #981
Saumon Vieux Naturel, Vert
Cotton slub
variegated yarn. I chose to have stripes of addition to the weaver’s palette, but I Bleu 960 yd; Pale
three solid colors plus the variegated. Stripe encourage you to add them to yours. They #633
Ivoire,
A is the main color, stripe B is the secondary are a fun and challenging invitation to color 960 yd
color, stripe C is the accent color, and stripe exploration and colorplay! #1317 #112 #1512 #1831
8/2 cotton
Saumon Slate Jaune Vert

D is the variegated. I used the proportions of Pale Pale
the Fibonacci sequence to design the stripes.

(You can see the Fibonacci proportions in
the warp color order, Figure 1.)
Then I designed four different colorways
1 Wind 488 warp threads 5 yd long, using
the warp color order in Figure 1 for the
colorway you wish to weave. Use your
Other Supplies
Sewing thread.
preferred method to warp the loom, and
for the towels, again using my palette of thread following the draft in Figure 2. Sley Warp Length
colors from Maurice Brassard. (Maurice 2 per dent in a 10-dent reed, centering for 488 ends 5 yd long (allows 7"
Brassard is based in Ontario, Canada, hence a weaving width of 242⁄5". for take-up, 36" for loom
the French color names.) The same colors waste).
appear in multiple towels but in different
proportions, as shown in Table 1: 2 Wind one bobbin of each weft yarn for
your chosen colorway (see the project
specifications).
Setts
Warp: 20 epi (2/dent in a 10-
dent reed). Weft: 20 ppi.
Table 1: Towel colorways
A
Pink
Towel
salmon
Blue
Towel
slate
Yellow
Towel
pale
Green
Towel
pale
3 Begin by weaving 24 shots of hem weft
following the treadling in Figure 2. Switch
to the slub cotton for the towel body and
Dimensions
Width in the reed: 242⁄5".
continue to weave in herringbone twill for Woven length (measured
blue yellow green
B peach lavender honey lavender 32". (For the yellow towel, use the natural under tension on the loom):
cotton slub for two towels and the ivory 138". Finished size after
C pale pale peach pale
yellow rose yellow for the other two.) Start each towel with washing: 4 hemmed towels
D variegated yarn the shuttle coming into the shed from the 20½" × 28¾".
From Handwoven, May/June 2013; pp. 46–47.
2. Draft
right. Aim for a consistent twill line with
4x
an even beat of 20 ppi. End by weaving 10x 4x 2x 6x 2x 4x 10x 1 2 3 4 5 6
4 4 4
24 shots of hem weft. Insert 2 shots of a A
A B
B C
C D
D C
C B
B A
A
3 3 3
contrasting thread to make a cutting line A B C D C B A 2 2 2
A B C D C B A 1 1 1
and start the next towel. /
A Color A / 12x
4
Refer to warp B Color B S
Remove the fabric from the loom and ma-
repeat
color order C Color C S
chine zigzag the raw edges. Machine 1. Warp color order chart D Color D
S
S
wash in warm water and machine dry. 4x

Color * Refer to project
/
/ 12x
/ 8/2 cotton weft
Press the fabric and then cut apart be- 96 24 D specifications to see S slub cotton weft
8 8 weft yarns for each
64
tween cutting lines. Hem the towels by
C
128 16 16 B
towel colorway
hand or machine with a 1½" hem (¾" 200 40 40 A
488
folded twice). * Refer to project specifications to see
yarn colors for each towel colorway

0314 HW-WT Beginners Relaunch Freemium

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

0314 HW-WT Beginners Relaunch Freemium

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

0314 HW-WT Beginners Relaunch Freemium

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What are the weaving techniques described in the document?

What are the weaving techniques described in the document?

What materials are used to create the towels?

What materials are used to create the towels?

Free Hand Weaving Projects for Beginners:

Anything But Plain

From Handwoven, November/December 2007; pp. 28–30.

Steps for Weaving the Twelve Placemats

1 Wind a warp of 280 total ends 9 yd long holding 5 ends

2 Spread the warp in a raddle centering for 14", place

group; they are likely to be in a slightly different order. /

4 Sley 2/dent in a 10-dent reed, tie the warp onto the

5 Each placemat uses a single color of 8/8 unmercer-

From Handwoven, November/December 2009; pp. 60–61.

1. Draft for placemats

13" × 18" each with 11⁄2" fringe at the ends. /

The fastest hemstitching

PHOTOS BY SUZIE LILES

Playing with Stripes

From Handwoven, March/April 2003; pp. 24–27.

on the opposite side from which

in the twill towels may throw 2 2 2 2 6

Finishing the towels 4

Yarn sources Finished dimensions

3b. Towels 4 and 5

From Handwoven, May/June 2003; pp. 28–31.

cycle. Roll each towel onto a cardboard tube

2. Warp color order

4. Weft color order

Spring Bouquet Towels Equipment

Saumon Slate Jaune Vert

the Fibonacci sequence to design the stripes.

From Handwoven, May/June 2013; pp. 46–47.

Remove the fabric from the loom and ma-

wash in warm water and machine dry. 4x

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.