# my first towel



## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

my first towel is done and i'm happy with how it came out. it did shrink alot but still has 19"x26" 
feels really cushy


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## Sanibean (Apr 8, 2010)

That's really nice. You did a great job.


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

oh nice! That is really really nice!
Towels may tempt me to weave.....


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

MJ yes that is what got me weaving too. and the love of spinning cotton. 
after i have a bit more practice with weaving i want to use my home spun cotton for household things like table cloth and towels.


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Wonderful job! 
We have our first wool shawl on the loom now about ready to come off- quite exciting (though not very nice looking!) do you grow your own cotton? how is it spinning? Is spinning your own like spinning wool? Where did you get the cotton for spinning? Sorry about all the questions- since we are just now getting into weaving, there is so much to learn!


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

i wish i could grow cotton but i think michigan is too cold? 
there are some online sources where you can buy cotton sliver. it looks almost like wool roving.
it spins very divverent the wool because it has a very short staple length.
if you got the hang of it, it just flows to the bobbin and i find it much easier to spin then wool.
why do you think your shawl is not nice looking?


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

That turned out beautifully. Congratulations!


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## menagerie momma (Sep 29, 2008)

So nice! I. must. resist. I don't need another expensive hobby! LOL! I already have DH convinced that a spinning wheel would come in handy!

Jessie


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## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

Gorgeous!


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## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

susanne said:


> my first towel is done and i'm happy with how it came out. it did shrink alot but still has 19"x26"
> feels really cushy


How pretty. Beautifully done. Are you planning on actually using it? Have you already used it? I'm curious as to how absorbent it is.

stef


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

thank you all.
yes i'm planing to use it but have not yet. just want to look at it a bit more before it disappear in the kitchen drawer.

jessi the spinnig wheel is THE beginning from all.


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> thats lovely! But I wouldn't let anyone in my house use it for dishes!!!


thank you.
i agree, at least for a while


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## Mrs. Homesteader (May 10, 2002)

I love it!! It turned out great. Maybe since it is your first one, you could just hang it in your kitchen and threaten bodily damage to anyone who dares to use it.


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

Mrs. Homesteader said:


> I love it!! It turned out great. Maybe since it is your first one, you could just hang it in your kitchen and threaten bodily damage to anyone who dares to use it.


LOL

yeah or make many more towels.
looks like it could become an addiction

here is my next on the loom, actually there will be two towels when i'm done.


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## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

Oh! Totally gorgeous. Keep up the good work!


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

isn't it amazing what kind of effects you can get just with choosing different color sequence?
this pattern is from the weavers idea book. very simple plain weave.


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## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

Well, I can see by how far along you are with the next one (two) you're really in to this.

Are you able to purchase skeins of cotton from somewhere?

And you're right...there must be a million or more variations just by how you arrange your color sequence. 

Nicely done!


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

thank you steff
i bought the cotton from halcyon. big one pound cones. 
that will make a lot of towels. 
my dh is not home right now and i did send him a picture. he liked it and said it is time to throw the old ones we have out. so i guess there is no way around not to use the new ones


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

susanne said:


> thank you steff
> i bought the cotton from halcyon. big one pound cones.
> that will make a lot of towels.
> my dh is not home right now and i did send him a picture. he liked it and said it is time to throw the old ones we have out. so i guess there is no way around not to use the new ones


This just means you need to make more....and more.... hehe!
cotton grows quiet well down here. I am in Northeast Texas, and have grown up seeing cotton fields. So I am pretty sure Michigan is too cold.

I will just admire from afar for now, if I start weaving I may end up needing an addiction intervention.
Now growing cotton and spinning may be workable.....hmmmmmm


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## twomeal (Dec 3, 2010)

That is so pretty! I can't believe it is possible!


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

I like weaving towels for "apprentice" weaving work. I can test patterns and setts and stuff.

I give away some for gifts, keep some as samples, and I use some for the house.

Nice work!
Have a good day!


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

That is so beautiful! How long does it take to do a towel like that?


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

this took me about a week or a bit more. but it took two days alone for figuring out how to warp two heddles on my rigid heddle loom. 
right now my concentration is not the best either and i had to un-weave a lot of time.
i guess for somebody experienced with this it might take a couple of hours?


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

done with next two towels. 








they only took me three days. they also have the size i planned, 20"by 30"


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

ops, too big. need to resize, sorry about that


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

Jeepers Creepers
Iâm hooked and I havenât even tried this yet!
Can you do YouTube? Iâd like to see the loom you are using and learn more about what you are doing. I tried not to click on this thread, for fear I would want to try my hand at weaving. Today it got the best of me, and I want to make some towels too, or at least get my daughter started or the neighbor girl. :heh:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

WOW! You are amazing! I'm getting inspired to pull out the weaving I have on my loom and to redo it all. Thank you so much for taking pictures and posting about your experience and progress. It really helps all of us to learn as well as inspire many. Thank you!


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

marchi you are very welcome

JDog1222 there are already nice youtube videos about this. i think what inspired me the most was this site rigidheddleweaving.com .
i have a 25" flip rigid heddle loom from schacht. i just love it. 
books that are highly recommended are Weavers Idea Book for the rigid heddle loom from jane patrick, an abundant information for different pattern that are very easy to follow.
another one is textures and patterns for the rigid heddle loom by betty linn davenport.. i did some samples out of this book and they are also very easy to follow.
never thought i would like weaving so much. better then knitting (at the moment)


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

Ok, when are YOU going to start a WAL (weave-along)? 
WAIT, not till I get MY loom! :teehee:


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

oh, i'm in for a towel swatch


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

You're killing me... these are awesome! I'm going to forget I ever visited this section of the forum.... not!!!


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

LOL, CJ:lookout: I never dreamed it would hit me :stars: this hard either!:sob:


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## Pigeon Lady (Apr 4, 2004)

What a great job you're doing! Your towels are lovely. But I wish I hadn't looked, because now my loom is calling to me, and we're in dire need of new kitchen towels!


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

Pigeon Lady said:


> What a great job you're doing! Your towels are lovely. But I wish I hadn't looked, because now my loom is calling to me, and we're in dire need of new kitchen towels!



thank you, happy weaving


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## grams (Sep 10, 2004)

Susanne, the towels are lovely. Now I am wanting the book you got the drafts out of. Does the first towel have a float in the pattern? Do you know the epi, or thickness of the yarn?


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

grams said:


> Susanne, the towels are lovely. Now I am wanting the book you got the drafts out of. Does the first towel have a float in the pattern? Do you know the epi, or thickness of the yarn?



the first towel is a waffel weave and has float in the weft and in the warp section. that is a 20epi set. used two ten dent heddles and yarn was 8/2 homespun cotton, 30ipw.
if you want to do this pattern, you need to add at least 20% for the length as this will shrink a lot.
i did a couple of picks in plain weave in the beginning and at the end for hemming.
this towel is soft and squishy.


second towels are plain weave and 10 epi. same yarn as the first towel just differnt color and thread doubled. the effect comes from color sequence.
here i started one red then one green, repeated 7 times (last one is green) next is one green one red, repeat three times. this goes all the way to the end. weaving was exactly the same. started with one red and one green, repeated seven times and so on.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

They are Wounderful!


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