.... and Yet More Towels..... 😁🎉

I guess you could say that I started my Christmas preparations in July by deciding to weave  kitchen towels to restock my Etsy store  and planned and pre-wound no less than five warps. This is warp number three.   Warp number four is over the half way mark and I just beamed warp number five.    I have no idea what is next after that!   (yet)

The idea is to have some lower price point items as this going to be a tough holiday season for everyone stretched money wise.   If they sell well, I may plan some more for at least one of the two looms....

I have woven this draft before and it's not only a feast for the eyes, it's also a fun easy weave too.  This warp was eight yards and so I got seven towels and some samples for my records. 

The draft is as shown and was modified from #728 from Carol Strickler's "Weavers Book of 8 Shaft Patterns.  I like to browse that classic book every so often.    I took advantage of the striping effect to use up some small part cones of royal and navy blues and even the purple.   Felt real good to empty the cones off and toss them into the recycle bin! 
 

Despite faithfully following the colour winding order, it seem I somehow slipped up and missed winding six ends of white in one section and so had to hang six film canisters that I 'chain ganged' using card board and a hole punch.  It kept them all separate and sort of behaved.   I would show you a picture but I forgot to take one!   I also had two floating selvedges as well. I set up a small stool to sit on behind the loom as when I unwind and reset the threads, it took some time. 

Choosing weft colours was also a challenge as I wanted to keep the fun stripes and bright colours and not swamp it with an over bright weft.   I end up using a colour called stone from Brassards which was the right shade of light grey and wove up three towels in this colour. Next up was an odd cone I found deep in my stash that had a tag that said it was 'clay'.  I call it porcelain clay.   Next to white it looked pinky beige and next to beige it looked white. Strange colour but it worked nicely.    The last towel also was a stash buster too as I found a small part cone of a light turquoise-y green and I had just enough to weave up the last full sized towel.

Serged them apart, soaked and washed, in the dryer and them steam pressed up.   Hems turned and pinned. It's quite the assembly line. 

I do a running blind stitch: through the fold of the hem.....

... then snag a thread or two on the outer layer and back into the fold. I slowly inch my way across while I half watch/ half listen to the TV.   I don't mind having hand work to do and enjoy it.  I like the smooth look it gives the front of the towel and a deep stitch line doesn't break the pattern up.   I have some hand sewn towels that are 20+ years old and hold on to machine washing very well. I've never had to do any repairs.

So there are seven towels but these are the three coloured wefts:

Then more of the individual towels open to show from and back.   They measure 21" x 30" all finished.

Porcelain clay weft (above and below)

Pale turquoise weft (above and below)

... and my favourite, stone  (above and below)

🍁🍁🍁

Here in Canada it's the Thanksgiving weekend and we plan to do up a nice dinner together tomorrow and watch the leaves on our chestnut tree turn gold and fall.    That sure was a long hot and very dry summer.  

We are also planning to get both our flu shot and covid boosters as soon as we can.  It's all part of getting ready for the season to come.    

Here's a favourite picture of a little Japanese maple at our last property. It would turn this bright red in the fall and seem to float in the air!
 

Thankful 🍁

I had some running around to do on Saturday.  One was a stop at my bank downtown and I was surprised by these lovelies!   Sugar maples in all their glory.... on Alder Street. I stopped and took a quick snap or three with my cell phone. A gentleman also going to the bank machine said that its much like the blossoms in spring..... a few brief and glorious days of colour.

My timing was perfect everywhere I went. As you can see above, no traffic and any parking spot I liked.   Same thing at the grocery store.... "you should have seen it here two hours ago" said one tired looking staff member.   I breezed around the store and there was no line up at the cashier.  I even got a flu shot with no waiting.     

🍁  We have very much to be thankful for.   🍁   

Today is Canadian Thanksgiving  and we're foregoing turkey this year and doing a leg of lamb instead. All the prep work is done.   Its just hubby and I as usual, and this year,  that's okay with us as Hub isn't feeling too well.    

He was out a couple of days ago and took these pictures down by the waterfront here in Campbell River where we have miles and miles of beaches like this. You can pull over and go sit on a log and watch the water for wildlife and shipping traffic.

The mountains are over on the mainland and as you can see, there are more than a few extinct volcanic cones over there! Well, we hope they are....

Meanwhile, here at home, this is the ornamental cherry tree in the front yard and our little 'burning bush' on the side of the driveway

The chestnut has gone golden and starting to shed leaves.....

On the weaving front:  I have just completed 10 yards of towels and completed finishing, pressing and snapping the  'beauty shot' pictures.  So a post on them is coming very soon.   Towels are fun but they are a lot of work and take time, especially when you are hand sewing hems !   The spring loom is waiting to be reloaded and I think I will shift my attention to the Megado  for weaving time.       Enjoy the sunshine while you can.....   🍂🌞 🍁