Veggie towels are done!

I like how these turned out!  I like the way the colors all work together well together, too.

Reed Marks

In the past year, I have been afraid of threading a reed with anything more than 2 threads per dent because of reed marks.  But in order to make the veggie towels, I had to use a 2-3-3 threading, and I worried about reed marks.  This is what it look like while weaving:

However, I am really happy to announce that they all washed out just fine!  During the washing and drying process, the threads always tend to re-arrange themselves to find a happy balance in the finished product.  Not being afraid of threading more than 3 threads dent opens many more doors for the e.p.i. and sett choices for the reeds that I have on hand.

All washed and pressed:

I am always glad when I try something new and it DOES work out to be o.k.!!

Pine Trees

I saw this pine trees pattern in the November/December 2009 Handwoven Magazine, page 62.  They were designed by Karen Tenney and called "Holiday Towels," but I thought that I could make them look like year-round pine tree towels if I didn't add any red.  We have a nice pine tree shower curtain in one of our bathrooms and this will make a great accent decoration!

I used the same warp as the veggie towels, and just added this one in towards the end.  The only thing that is different between the two drafts is the tie-up, so I was excited to put something else on this warp.  I was putting the veggies on only 1 side of the towels, but I wanted trees on both sides this time.  In order to do this, I had to weave the 2nd one up-side down so that it would appear right-side up when it was done and folded in half.

The draft:

On the loom:

And all washed and pressed:

Veggie towel draft modifications

After weaving one towel already, I have made a few changes to the draft so that I don't have to do the skeleton tie-up.  The skeleton-tie up was taking too much concentration!  When I studied the draft really closely, I realized that one pedal tie-up (the lone 7) was not even being used and the 7-8 could be combined with the 1-7-8, so then I was left with exactly 10 pedals!  Perfecto!  So I rewrote out the draft with these changes.  I also re-wrote the draft using only one shade of green, since that is how I'm weaving the colors.

The project is still weaving upside down, and I realize now that it's because I have a jack loom that lifts the shafts up!  I would rather weave it upside down though instead of having to lift pedals 2 through 8!  Lifting seven pedals would be quite heavy!

Another change I have made is to keep the veggies closer together and start them sooner at the bottom so it's more of a motif sequence on one side at the very bottom of the towel.

I would like to try designing my own fruit towels.  Already I have tried designing an apple and cherries.  And I also want to try treadling a tree towel.

Veggie towels progress

Yay! Veggie towels have been started!

 

While winding on the warp, I noticed one thread that didn't seem to be attached into any heddles.  Fortunately, I had my heddle sequence correct, I just missed putting that one string into the heddle.  So I had to improvise!  And this seems to work just fine!  I have safety pins holding this make-shift heddle onto the metal bars on the shafts and rubber bands in-between held together by another safety pin where the thread enters.   As long as I keep from jostling the warp with the shuttle, the threads don't get caught by the safety pin!  That was easy!

 

 

I found these enormous cones of 12/2 cotton at the yarn store.  The color choices were limited, but they were extremely inexpensive!  And it washes up to be SO soft and nice!  12/2 is a fun size to work with.  It makes a thinner feeling towel than 8/2.  Also, I like how you can use 8/2 as the overshot weft with 12/2 as the tabby.  That's what I did with these veggie towels.

When I started weaving them, they didn't look quite right.  Then I realized I had my pedals wrong!  I had the 1 & 8 switched in my mind.  So the designs are weaving on the back.  No worries!  I am going to leave it for this one towel, and then switch them to be correct for the next one so I can enjoy the designs more while weaving! 

  

They sure are cute!!!  I love them SOOO much!!  I knew when I first saw them I had to make them!!!

I've already sold one of these to a friend!  I can't wait to show it to her.  I believe she's going to send it to an aunt who is having a birthday.  I cut off this first towel and I'm going to give it to her today so she can have time to package it up and send it off.  I can't wait!

Measuring out the new warp

The warp is measured out for the veggie towels and spaced on the reed!  I'm using 12/2 cotton in the color of hay.  The epi is 27 on a #10 reed, so I did 2-3-3 spacing.  Now all I need to do is get each string into the right heddle, which is a 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-1-8-7-6-5-4-3-2 sequence over and over again.  Then wrap it up onto the back beam and we're ready to rock!

Veggie Towels Plan

I'm getting so excited to make these!!!  I think they are so adorable!!

I'm using the draft from Farmer's Market Runner and Napkins designed by Beverly Savel in the May/June 2000 issue of Handwoven magazine.  I'm going to make some changes to the yarn choices in the original pattern.  The pattern calls for various DMC flosses, but I'm going to just use 8/2 colors that I have on hand.  And for the background, I want to use an off-white 12/2 cotton that washes up to be so soft!  I can't wait to make these great garden towels, especially with garden season being in full swing!

Vegetable Towels are next on the to do list!

My handwoven-towel-exchange-friend KarenInTheWoods provided me with a copy of the draft for the vegetable towels!  They were from the May/June 2000 Handwoven magazine:

 

Thanks Karen!!!  This is going to be soooooooo AWESOME!!!   I can't wait to get started on these next weekend!!!!

Handtowel Projects I admire...

 I love to scan the internet and look at other weavers' work.  I always get ideas no matter where I go.  Here are some dishtowels from this site that I want to make someday.

This is one from this person on Etsy.