I just managed to squeak the last towel out of this warp. Fifty yards = 20 spa towels, which is pretty much what I’d calculated. The reason there is so little warp left is because I used up about 48″ weaving a colour gamp for the designer’s approval. Now I know that my math was pretty much spot on, which is reassuring, given how often I make mistakes!
Still have to inspect and repair the towels and get them wet finished, but that will probably wait until I’m back from my trip. Doug will be pressing 12 towels today which fills the order so I’m feeling pretty good about completing this warp in spite of my continuing back issues. 🙁
Next I’m going to beam a ‘quick’ tea towel warp, this time beaming from the top of the tube instead of the side. I think I tried that before and it didn’t work terribly well because the yarn fell off the bottom of the tube and wrapped around the spindle, but I’m not sure and if it works it should give me a better tensioned warp. This one had mild issues with unequal tension on individual ends causing them to not open a clear shed, therefore causing weft ‘bubbles’ which I’m having to labouriously pull through the textile to the selvedge and then sew in. Not efficient!
I’m thinking that if I do the tubes I might look for something I can put on them which will prevent the yarn from sluffing down and wrapping round the spindle. Since I just tossed out all the plastic netting I used to use for that purpose, guess I’ll be heading to the dollar store to get bath scrubbies. Proving once again that you should never throw something out because as soon as you do, you need it!
Currently reading Skin Game by Jim Butcher