Summer Storm Towels

Project Dates: June - August 2023

Samson and Three Towels

What inspires me? One avenue of inspiration is practicality. I know that sounds boring. But, making something that is then used, brings art to everyday use. It brings the satisfaction of making, to the forefront. Hands touching something made, brings satisfaction that is ultimately rewarding.

We have lots of dish drying kitchen towels. You know the ones I mean. Those thin cotton polyester towels that are supposedly good for drying dishes. Which I suppose they are fine for. But, what we are sorely lacking is hand drying towels. Do you know how often hands get wetted in the kitchen sink on a daily basis? A lot. One could say I have a compulsive disorder, or at least, a tendency towards that end of the spectrum if not the actual diagnosis.

These makers’ hands gravitated towards that need. I love the feel of hand-made kitchen towels. I use cotton crackle which lends a luscious absorbency to the fabric. These towels also satisfied two other artful desires: mud dyes and M’s and O’s.

Bengala Dyes

I ran across Bengala mud dyes a few years ago. They dye using cold water and without the need for a lot of equipment. I bought a trio of colors in the orange, gold, and brown spectrum.

Gist Project Inspiration

The M’s and O’s weave was inspired by Gist yarn and a design by Christine Tsai. My interpretation utilized the color spectrum of the mud dyes I had purchased a few years ago, namely the setting sun on earthen soil. I also wanted to add some muddy rain laden cloudy blue sky to the mixture so added natural cotton crinkle space dyed with just a pastel bit of the brown sienna mud dye, and added some purchased white and pale blue cotton in 20/2 which I doubled up.

The colors were ordered so that the blue sky was bordered by white clouds that turned into cloudy rain clouds before exposing the bright sunny golden yellow sunset.

Horizontal Warping Reel

The project was woven on my LeClerc 4-shaft floor loom. The cotton crinkle yarn came from my stash. I used a horizontal mill to measure the warp. I threaded the reed on a table.

Rumi Guarding Warp Thread

I should mention I have cats which are a rather recent event, well, maybe not recent if you consider a year a very long time. But to me it seems like just yesterday I was blissfully ignorant of the nirvana possible in a fiber room without cats. For now, the cats have nirvana, and I am pulling my hair out! They’ve gotten better. I was able to use the warping mill to measure the thread being careful when the cats sniffed the contraption, wondering what kind of new toy entered their den, so as to prevent any harm from coming to them.

Keeping them off the table while I sleyed the reed was a definite impossibility at this stage, so that was a closed-door exercise. The dyeing also took place elsewhere since my fiber studio is limited to dry techniques only. The laundry room must acquiesce its position in the household when dying comes to the forepaws of my maker hands.

Samson Inspecting Sample

Weaving with the cats is doable. Actually, even pleasurable. They have finally gotten the idea that I don’t want them on the loom, and I prefer they not scratch at the heddles, or paw at the fabric on the wheel drums. I did have to devise a pseudo covering for the threads at the back of the loom, because, well, they are cats, and it is thread, and I mean, that is asking a bit much! But, they take turns laying behind me on the bench or on the table near the loom, which is ultimately pleasurable and the reason they are in my life!

The first towel made was the very orderly and symmetrical striped version. The second planned towel was made with the clouds parting and settling upon the horizons east and west. The third towel was an unexpected extra length of warp for an almost full grown third towel. The day and clouds were in full-on tug-a-war for this one.

Weaving In Process

The whole project took just a little under two months in my spare time in my life taking care of cats, others, and a full-time job. It was a very pleasurable process to design, fantasize, play with color interpretation, try a new technique with the mud dyes, and a new pattern to me of M’s and O’s. They have just gotten their first use, soft and absorbent, and they are a memorable experience. Perfect for this maker and planner. Until the next project…

Alex