I just managed to squeak the last towel out of this warp. Fifty yards = 20 spa towels, which is pretty much what I'd calculated. The reason there is so little warp left is because I used up about 48" weaving a colour gamp for the designer's approval. Now I know that my math was pretty much spot on, which is reassuring, given how often I make mistakes!
Still have to inspect and repair the towels and get them wet finished, but that will probably wait until I'm back from my trip. Doug will be pressing 12 towels today which fills the order so I'm feeling pretty good about completing this warp in spite of my continuing back issues. :(
Next I'm going to beam a 'quick' tea towel warp, this time beaming from the top of the tube instead of the side. I think I tried that before and it didn't work terribly well because the yarn fell off the bottom of the tube and wrapped around the spindle, but I'm not sure and if it works it should give me a better tensioned warp. This one had mild issues with unequal tension on individual ends causing them to not open a clear shed, therefore causing weft 'bubbles' which I'm having to labouriously pull through the textile to the selvedge and then sew in. Not efficient!
I'm thinking that if I do the tubes I might look for something I can put on them which will prevent the yarn from sluffing down and wrapping round the spindle. Since I just tossed out all the plastic netting I used to use for that purpose, guess I'll be heading to the dollar store to get bath scrubbies. Proving once again that you should never throw something out because as soon as you do, you need it!
Currently reading Skin Game by Jim Butcher
6 comments:
Hi Laura,
What do you consider a "spa" towel? What fiber and what size? I have purchased some fiber to make towels and am researching some ideas.
Thanks
Patricia
I want to read that book! I only got up to chapter 6 which is all the e book would allow on sample.
These towels were designed for a shop in Vancouver. The design is exclusive to them. :)
Cheers
Laura
I'm not understanding how you are using netting. This is section warping, right?
We'll it didn't work. :(. Wound up with a real mess and went back to just pulling the yarn off the side of the tube. There is a reason industry suspends cones nearly horizontal, then pulls off the tip. Unfortunately I don't have the room for such a set up, so it's back to what I was doing.
Cheers
Laura
Hi Laura,
I've only tried it once, but on a spool rack, I read try to beam 'up from the bottom holders' and off from the top of the roll. Of curse if you're doing all 30 or 40
at once, that's moot.
If you have dowels on the spool rack, you can try a tensioning device. I've heard of cutting an "x" in...say...the tops of yogurt cups or some other plastic top - about 3 inch dia. and press those onto the rods and up against the tubes. A little painters tape and they should stay in place.
I'm a newbie here just digesting as much information as I can.
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