Ask Madelyn: Dornick Towels Difficulties

Dear Madelyn,

I am trying to make the towels featured in the eBook Best of Handwoven: Yarn Series—A Dozen Projects in 10/2 Cotton (the Dornick Twill Towels by Mary Frost, page 7).  I put a sample on my loom that was about 8" wide, using the 8-shaft draft.  When I wove, the piece was almost completely weft faced.  I am wondering why this was.   I wasn't even really "beating"; I was just gently placing the weft.   I hesitate to wind the full warp until I understand what I'm doing wrong. Your help would be much appreciated,

—Nancy

Hi Nancy!

You know, I actually have one of those towels. It was woven originally in a cotton that was called 10/2 cotton but was not mercerized. The sett of 24 ends per inch in the instructions is the sett she used. But I think (and I have no idea why I didn't think about this before) that that sett is too open, even if it is what Mary used (the floats are over 4 threads, under 4 threads, so the interlacement is very loose). I sett most of my twill warps for towels in 10/2 cotton at 30 epi if there are long floats (24 epi would work for 2/2 twill, but so would 25 epi or even 26). I would try her towels at 30 epi. Change whatever you need to in terms of adding warp ends to the stripes to get the towel width you want and sett it at 30 epi, maybe even 32. And if you do that and you could send me a photo, I would put a note in those instructions. I adore those towelsl!

You are doing nothing wrong, though it is always harder to beat a narrow piece (8") lightly than it is with something wider.

—Madelyn