Ten Shaft Tea Towels

January is the time of the year when I want to weave tea towels.  There is something so very comforting about putting on a warp and weaving for the home. 

Tea towels are a relatively straightforward weave and after all these years I know how to work with 2/8 un-mercerized cotton.  Twenty-two to twenty-four inches is a width I’m comfortable with, and the generally simple treadling sequence allows me to make sure I’m concentrating on my posture and throwing technique.

This year I’ve decided to re-visit a pattern that I’ve done at least four times previously.  It is a 10 shaft modified overshot design that creates flowers in a bed of plain weave.

The first time I wove this pattern was in 2013 and I chose a Spring Palette.  I then wove it later or in 2013 as a Plaid in Red, Beige and Navy.  I actually wove it twice more and didn’t blog about it either time. 

The third time I wove them in red, white and blue and they were snapped up on Etsy.  The fourth time I wove it in a soft pastel plaid and gave them away to friends without ever taking a photo.

This time I am choosing to weave this wonderful pattern with white warp and strong clear colours.  I have 7 yards on the loom and I plan on weaving six different colours.  Blue, Lavender (if there is enough on these pirns), red/violet, rose, blue/green and ink blue.

I get a huge amount of pleasure just looking at a beautifully dressed loom!

The first colour is a lovely clear, sweet blue from M. Brassard et fils in Quebec, simply called Bleu.

I have only begun this project and the only real change I have made to the pattern is that I have threaded the selvedges as basket weave.  Hopefully, it will make a pretty edge line.

I have two photos today from the garden.  Yesterday we had ‘mizzle’ (misty drizzle), so I popped my Meyer Lemon outside for a drink.  The plant seemed to love getting outside for the first time in months.

While I was taking the photo of the lemon, I caught this wee hummingbird silhouetted against our grey sky.