Weaving dish towels

What a learning experience this project has been.  I am somewhat pleased with the result, but it isn’t quite what I had hoped.  Let me start at the beginning.

About a month ago, I agreed to have some things to sell in our local studio art tour.  We have a pretty vibrant arts community here and twice a year the studios open up and sell items made within.  The December tour is prime for Christmas purchasing so the studios try to have a lot of stock.  My weaving teacher and several of her students participate and I plunked to do it this year.  It is a new idea for me.  I have always woven for myself and for friends – never for sale.  It is a little unnerving, but I figured it was important to take the plunge.  I made a couple of scarves and then came these dish towels.

First, I picked up some warp colors.  I planned on stripes in a twill pattern – easy to thread and cheerful for kitchens.  With my 6 yard chain ready to sley and my heddles in place, I made my first foolish decision.  I didn’t like the way the colors were going together, so I decided to change the order.  The whole point of an orderly warp is to keep the amount of crossing (and therefore tangling) to a minimum.  Changing the order of the threading pretty much guaranteed the maximum amount of crossing (and therefore tangling).  It is a valid choice.  There really is no point in winding on 6 yards of warp you don’t like.  Well, except that it is way easier than the tangled mess I created.  Still, with patience and persistence (have I mentioned this is a strong suit for me?) you can do it!

Then I had to go and find a weft color.  Really and truly – picking these things out as you go is not the ideal approach to a weaving project.  I looked at complements and harmonious colors.  Although the dark brown looked lovely, it was too somber, I felt, for the season.  I didn’t have quick availability for the type of thread I had used for the warp – an 8/4 cotton with a light twist.  Using the carpet warp colors might look nice, but could affect the feel of the towel negatively.  In the end, the texture of the natural cotton flake convinced me.  I then made the second foolish decision.  My warp had a little bit of red in it and I decided that it looked nice with the last thread on each end to have that red.  Doing it again, I would definitely have left those threads off – they make the selvedge edge stand out rather than disappear.  Having chosen the natural weft, I should have removed the red edges – it would not have affected the structure and would have produced a more refined result.

My goal was to turn out 5-6 towels.  I wanted them big and cushy.  And I wanted no treadling mistakes.  It seemed to me a straight twill (1-2/2-3/3-4/4-1) would satisfy all my needs.  And it did – on the loom.  Yes, this is my third poor decision.  Off the loom, the towels have a tendency to twist a little following the tilt of the twill (like cutting fabric on the bias).

All in all, the towels look pretty nice.  One or two of them might sell and they will certainly complement a couple of kitchens I know.  Still, I paid a price for being indecisive and in a hurry.  Perhaps that is the biggest lesson of all.  Next time..