Delightful Dinner Napkins

It’s so easy to get stuck in a weaving rut. For almost a full year I wove nothing but 4-shaft twill. I loved weaving twill, and I was very happy weaving. Then I tried something new and realized there’s a wonderful world outside of twill that could be just as much fun while also offering new opportunities for design. If you’re in a weaving rut, there’s nothing like a weaving challenge to give you a good reason to try out new colors and structures. For her Delightful Dinner Napkins from the September/October 2018 issue, Susan Love decided to get out of her comfort zone and the results are, true to the project’s name, delightful. The M’s and O’s structure showcases the chosen color palette beautifully and gives the towels amazing texture. I hope they inspire you to weave something new-to-you. Here’s what Susan has to say about her napkins:

Susan Love’s Delightful Dinner Napkins.

Susan Love’s Statement

The primary challenge I gave myself with this project was to use a color that wasn’t in my comfort zone (purple) and to explore designing with the M’s and O’s structure. Varying the width of the blocks and deciding how best to use the accent color (melon) to transition between the other color stripes proved to be the largest design issue.

Happy Weaving! Christina

Project at a Glance

PROJECT TYPE: 6-shaft.

STRUCTURE: M’s and O’s.

EQUIPMENT: 6-shaft loom, 21" weaving width; 12-dent heddle; 1 shuttle; 1 bobbin.

YARNS: 10/2 pearl cotton (4,200 yd/lb; UKI; Yarn Barn of Kansas).

OTHER SUPPLIES: Matching sewing thread; Synthrapol.

---