October Weave-Along Towels

Day 355: Well, here they are: three shadow-weave towels and a "file sample," off the loom but not yet wet-finished, and I have to laugh at myself. I got so carried away with the rhythm of dark-light, dark-light that I completely forgot to put the yellow weft stripe in the last two. Shadow weave is fun! These were woven at 24 epi, more closely spaced than I usually weave with 8/2 cotton. There isn't much room for fulling here. I think 18-20 epi would be a better sett. The height of the vertical pattern rectangles is greater than the width of the horizontal ones, i.e., I did not achieve a balanced weave of 24 throws per inch, the preferred result for shadow weave when perfectly square motifs are the goal. Even so, the weave gives such a compelling optical effect that in this case, a balanced weave was not really mandatory. Widening the sett for this pattern would elongate the horizontal rectangles to the correct proportions. Switching to 10/2 cotton would also achieve the same end because it would beat more firmly. But they're towels, right? And this was my first time playing with shadow weave, thanks to Chris Acton's "October Weave-Along." Next up: a holiday tablecloth in overshot, and it's already partway hung on the loom.

Weave-Along Waffles

Day 354: Amongst the other projects I'm working on at the moment, I decided to participate in Acton Creative's "October Weave-Along." The rules are simple: everyone begins and (hopefully) finishes a project during the month of October using the same weaving pattern. You may create whatever you like in whatever colours you choose. It just has to be woven in a particular pattern. In this case, that's waffle-weave, and there is even quite a bit of latitude within that stipulation. There are a number of weaves which give the "waffle" effect, and since I am weaving on a four-shaft loom, I opted for the one in Mary E. Black's "Key to Weaving." Ms. Black suggested using 12 dents/inch for 8/2 cotton, and I am already wishing I'd listened to the Voice of Experience instead of following her instructions. Weaving at 15 epi for 8/2 as I usually do would have rendered square "waffle" divots rather than rectangles. The divots are not readily apparent in the fabric while it is on the loom, but the structure of the weave is such that they will form when the finished cloth is laundered, giving the "waffle" effect for which the weave is named. Fortunately, this is a short-term project consisting of only two towels. I like the weave, but next time, I'll space the warp threads closer together.