Osborn Fiber Studio

On this second day of Christmas, I’ll share with you the first set of towels I made. First set of towels ever, actually.

The first lesson in Liz Gipson’s 201: Colorwork class is about symmetrical stripes in the warp. She has a lot of helpful stuff to say about design. Personally I think weaving design sounds like a world so enormous that I’m not ready to think about it, but it was awesome to just absorb her experience.

Symmetry is made of twos, and this design is full of them. Two colours in a stripe, two stripes to a side, two symmetrical sides to a towel, two towels.

I had a lot to get used to in these first towels. It was my first time weaving with cotton, which feels very different to weaving with wool. It was my first time using a doubled weft thread; the pattern called for 8/2 cotton but all I could get was 10/2, and it was closer to the gauge when doubled. My beat is not the greatest, and it didn’t all come out in the wash.

But I nitpick. These are very pretty. The warp on all these towels is Bernat Handicrafter Cotton, and on these the weft is Ashford 10/2 cotton, doubled.

These are still winging their way to my grandma, who I had the privilege of seeing again this fall. I love her and am so thankful for her awesome witness and the many prayers she’s supported me with all my life. And I don’t think the package is there yet, so don’t give away the surprise Aunt Kathy!