The final results are in. The Turned Taquete Tea Towels are finally done, off the loom, washed, hemmed, and ready for their close-up.
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Wow! If I do say so myself. The color combinations are fabulous, the structure is never boring. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
To recap: I used 10/2 cotton for both warp and weft, sett 30 ends per inch. The warp was 20" wide, and (ahem) not nearly long enough. I wove the first towel 30" (under tension) plus an additional 1 1/2" on each end for hems. The second towel was not nearly as lucky. I was only able to weave 23" plus hem allowances on that one. (When will I learn?) So the second towel is really a Tea Square. A new genre. I just made it up.
Off-loom, the measurements were 28 1/8" x 19" and 21 1/4" x 19" respectively. I hand washed the towels for their first laundering. The colors barely ran at all, so I probably could have put them in the washing machine with a regular cold wash load with no worries. Air dried, and steam pressed while still damp.
Finished measurements are 26 3/4" x 19" and 20 1/4" x 19" respectively. So, I calculate about 11% shrinkage in length and negligible shrinkage in width. I used mini-cones of 10/2 cotton from Halcyon yarn that I bought in the mid-90's. This yarn has been more than patient, wouldn't you say? I've only got a few colors left now, and I looked online to see if it's still available, and it is. And at the best prices you are going to find for mini-cones anywhere! I see more 10/2 cotton in my future....
So, here's one more picture for the road:
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