Ketchup & Mustard Waffles

Ketchup & Mustard Waffle Weave

Here is a new combination. Let it be known that this is the one and only time I have combined waffles and those classic condiments. It does not sound appetizing but you might agree they make a terrific weave structure.

 Those of you who have followed my blog know waffle weave has been a particular favorite of mine. Following many experimental warps, this one is my favorite. Further experience may bump this one from first place but, so far, this one is tops.

What makes it so special? The cloth is lightweight and absorbent with a nice hand and pleasing texture, a perfect combination for kitchen towels or medium weight clothing.

Ketchup & Mustard Waffle Weave detail

The colors make me happy, too. Red is my favorite and I like to use variegated yarns. Plus, these are yarns from my vast collection. Nothing new was purchased.

Hem rippling can be a problem with waffle weave. Combining waffle cells and plain weave helps. The plain weave stripes in warp and weft hold the cell groups to minimize draw-in and add stability. Using sewing thread as weft for the hems is another way to prevent the puckers.

Hooray for the latest gourmet treat – Waffles with Ketchup & Mustard!

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

Why RepWeaver?

Rep is one of my favorite weave structures and I have woven lots and lots of Rep.

An alternate allusion is “repeat” or “repertoire”. The second usually refers to a stock set of plays, songs, etc. performed on a rotating schedule. 

For the most part I weave each of my designs three times, tying on to the first warp twice. This way I can try a variety of colors and make slight design changes on each subsequent warp, learning as I go.

Results of my Waffle Weave adventures
6 Harness Waffle Weave (far left to right) light blue, olive, red
7 Harness Waffle Weave (center left to right) dark teal, pink, dusty plum

In my waffle weave adventures I wove two variations: one on 7 harnesses, the other on 6 harnesses. Both were warped with three different color versions. Here they all are.

Fall is coming - my favorite season. It's a great time to switch gears and seek new adventures. Time to get back to Rep Weave.

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

The Red Ones

You may have noticed towels from my fourth adventure in waffle weave in a photo from two posts ago. Take a look at the bottom of the stack and you will see them. They are still waffle weave but slightly different from the first three.

Four Cotton Waffle Weave Hand Towels
They are in order as woven, the red one on the left.

The waffles are actually natural
with a navy blue marl through the centers.

Three previous waffle warps were all my 7-shaft version of Draft #388 from the Carol Strickler  AWeaver’s Book of 8-Shaft Patterns. The resulting towels were satisfying to weave and are pleasant to use. Yet, while weaving them the idea of trying for an even smaller waffle kept coming to me. Here you see my 6-shaft version of the same draft. The waffles are woven on four shafts with plain weave (red ends) on the other two.

Reverse side
The marled yarn is more obvious on this side.

The warp is 16/2 cotton in Natural and Red with 20/2 Navy blue marl. I didn't have a good variegated yarn for the highlights through the waffle cell centers. The marl worked just as well here. At first I chose a sett of 34 e.p.i. After sampling I decided to switch to 36 e.p.i. Weaving “to square” is always my aim and even though the change was slight it did help. Still, it isn't perfectly to square.

It's fun to be able to easily create a border effect by a slight change in weft color orders. I'm sure there are lots of possibilities to be explored for border treatments. Fun to be had!

The red ones are my favorite waffle weave towels so far. They are a slightly finer weave than the previous three versions and are a nice weight for drying hands.

Border effect by changing weft color order

Someone near and dear to me is very ill so weaving and blogging have taken a back seat lately. Warm weather and working outdoors are also keeping me from my loom. My heart is with all three and even though I am not writing as often, the work continues. I will check in here as often as I am able.

It is good to be alive. I wish you all good health, a lovely summer, beautiful gardens, happy weaving and maybe even a bit of fun as well.

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

Teal Waffles

A cone of 16/2 dark teal cotton found its way to my stash. It sat on the shelf for a long time. I have not been using 16/2 and since I haven’t used it I haven’t collected many cones of this size. Recent waffle adventures were the perfect chance to use what little 16/2 I had.

The "right" side of Teal Waffles hand towel

The lighter stripes in this warp are actually a lovely pale grey. I expected the bright colors in the variegated yarn to really pop where they peek through in the center of each waffle cell. It seems the teal yarn has a bit more loft than yarns in previous warps. It bloomed slightly in the wash and now the colors barely show at all.

The "wrong" side of Teal Waffles hand towel

The reverse side is nice though. That is where those colors really sing. When the towels were all finished and washed I wished they'd been hemmed to the other side making the reverse the "right" side. 

The nice thing is, when drying hands, both sides of the towel are easily visible and enjoyed. And besides, there is always the next warp.

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

A Sweet Stack of Waffles

A great waffle stack
Towels from four warps beginning with the first one on down

Look at that sweet stack of waffles! These are what I still have of four separate waffle warps. There are fewer left of the top two because they were the earliest. Additional Waffle Weave warps have come off my loom since my previous post when I whacked the pink towel. My fifth waffle warp is off the loom and waiting to be cut apart and hemmed. There will be more about the latter warps in future posts. I am having a lot of fun weaving waffles. Can you tell?

The latest addition to our back garden
We look forward to warm weather
 out in the new Gazebo.

In the mean time the great outdoors has been calling and keeping me busy. Yard work is fun in spite of frequent pouring rain. We dodge the drenching when we can and put up with the damp when we must. Going outside and thinking about growing things (things other than weeds!) is invigorating. Often even if I don’t feel like it, I head out there thinking of doing a specific small task or two. Before I know it I am enjoying the work and making real progress. My husband and I look forward to warmer, dryer weather. We look forward to leaves on trees, colorful flowers and fresh vegetables in our own yard. All the toil is worth the resulting satisfaction and enjoyment.

It can be like that with weaving, too. Sometimes it seems so pointless. Why am I doing this? It takes so much time. Perfectly acceptable commercially woven towels, rag rugs, baby blankets, etc. are available at discount stores. Yet, there is a difference. Having beautiful and useful handwoven things in our home is satisfying. Cloth of my own making speaks to me of who I am and what I have accomplished. Working at the warping mill, the loom, the sewing machine is what I do and have always done best. Color, proportion and design speak to me. A long list of ideas and goals spurs me on to create. Even repeating a draft can be an adventure. There is always another color arrangement, another yarn combination, another end purpose. The possibilities are endless and fascinating. The end product gives me satisfaction; the process brings me joy. And giving handwoven gifts is a unique way to express my love for friends and family.

Detail, Pink 7H Waffle Weave Towel
16/2 Cotton, Sett: 36 e.p.i.

Detail, Reverse side Pink 7H Waffle Weave Towel

Lately there have been some distractions and distresses in my life. But somehow, even if it’s late at night, I find time to weave. I create unique gifts, beautify my home, and feed my creative spirit. I weave. What could be better? Sunny weather, maybe??? Ha!

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver