Plain Weave, But Make It Kaleidoscopic!

Thick and thin is plain weave in disguise—its magic happens simply by alternating thick and thin threads in the warp and the weft.

You can create a second block in a thick and thin pattern just by reversing the order of those threads, with no need for extra shafts. Wherever there are consecutive thick or thin threads, the blocks change. The surprising intricacy of the resulting two-block pattern can be enhanced with strategically placed color.

After weaving thick and thin towels on a long black and white warp to explore patterns, I designed the Discovery Towels in Thick and Thin to explore the effect a colorful warp would have on this fascinating structure.

The weft sequence for the first towel in this project is based on the warp-stripe sequence. The remaining three towels explore various treadling options. I included some narrow stripes in colors I had in my stash. You may have yarn in your stash, too, to use as accents. Using the warp colors, I wove a narrow band on my 2-treadle band loom to use for hanging tabs—you can get the same results with an inkle loom.

What did I discover? That a colorful warp turns thick and thin into a kaleidoscope of color; that simple patterns produce striking results; and that there are a myriad of designs that have yet to be woven.

I hope you go on an adventure with thick and thin to make discoveries of your own!

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The Discovery Towels in Thick and Thin project includes four treadling variations—weave them as written, or work out your own versions.

Discovery Towels in Thick and Thin Project at a Glance

STRUCTURE
Thick and thin plain weave.

EQUIPMENT
4-shaft loom, 18" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 2 shuttles (preferably including 1 double-bobbin shuttle); 4 bobbins; inkle loom and belt shuttle for optional hanging tabs.

YARNS
Warp: 8/2 cotton (3,224 yd/lb; Vävstuga), #1312 Aquamarine, 384 yd; #0139 Teal, 448 yd; #1296 Moss, 912 yd. 30/2 cotton (11,955 yd/lb; Vävstuga), #9264 Grass, 872 yd. Add 4 yd Aquamarine, 8 yd Teal, and 16 yd Moss for optional hanging tabs. Weft: 8/2 cotton #1312 Aquamarine, 286 yd; #0139 Teal, 264 yd; #1296 Moss, 140 yd; #0476 Boysenberry, 348 yd; #0485 Mulberry, 36 yd; #0128 Orchid, 104 yd. 30/2 cotton #9264 Grass, 668 yd. (Add 4 yd Moss for optional hanging tabs.)

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Want to weave the Discovery Towels Thick and Thin? You can find the project in the November/December 2016 issue of Handwoven.

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Karen Isenhower explores Swedish weaving techniques in her Houston studio, where she also blissfully weaves patterned rag rugs. Karen blogs about her progress at WarpedforGood.com.