The towel ran away with the spoon

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|    Meet me in the loom~    |
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|  Experimental Handweaving  |
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|         [October]          |
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hello friends,

this note comes to you from the grounds of a weaving school standing on Abenaki land. read on for an update on what i'm making and thinking about, and to peruse an offering of hand towels.

Overshot Fantasies

i recently completed a table runner and am currently weaving a tallis, both of which play with overshot designs. overshot is a very classic north american colonial technique (specifically, a threading system) often used for coverlets— and possibly invented in Persia(?). it's eye-catching and admittedly ingenious, as it squeezes a whopping four pattern combinations out of a four shaft loom while maintaining structural integrity. that doesn't sound like a lot, but it blows open countless possibilities compared to simpler structures. i had a huge eureka moment last year when, after six months of intimidation, i suddenly noticed how it works: it has the plain weave inside of it, i thought! anyway, here are two applications of overshot, one edge-to-edge and one as a small inlay accent.

above: table runner, wool on linen, 17" x 54"

below: tallis, merino, in process

a short stretch of light yellow fabric held between the thick wooden beams of an old loom. the sunlight frames the corner of the fabric, where there is a three-inch square of minutely detailed blue-periwinkle threads. the pattern is in relief on its plain yellow surroundings, and entirely abstract, but could be seen as five crystals or eyes surrounded by seeds or stars

Towel Run

hearing that these hand and dish towels "absorb and dry nicely and are gorgeous” was the compliment of the year. absorbent first, gorgeous second is a dream of mine, although neither is an afterthought. i love the effect of interleaving and overlaying fields of color in these textiles— very dimensional thanks to their small warp bouts. the last batch was all about primary and secondary colors. this time around, expect secondary and tertiary colors, as well as a refresh of the lauded (absorbent) M's & O's plaid.

a hand towel folded over a towel rack, with horizontal bands of blue, magenta, green, and yellow. the wall behind is white, and a diffuse mid-day light streams in from the right. also on the rack is a larger beige bath towel; to the right is a small potted begonia on the edge of a blue bathroom sink.

a towel hanging on the wall, unfolded and square. there are asymmetric and overlapping stripes of color, both horizontally and vertically, some broad and some very narrow. the physical texture also alternates between flat and ribbed in a symmetric geometric grid. the colors are a lively mix of yellow, orange, magenta, blue, and green.

a close-up of a towel, showing alternating rectangular areas of flat and ribbed weave texture

cottolin (soft)
machine washable
approx 20" square
$36 each
free domestic shipping
eta: this winter

if you would like to order from this batch, please reply with how many towels and your mailing address by this friday, october 9th, and i will make them for you!

the corner of a hand towel hanging above the leaves of a rubber tree, suffused with the warm glow of sunset from an unseen window

Food for Thought

i've turned to the athleticism of weaving in the past weeks. slightly fine-tuning my form makes a big difference, especially in: throwing and catching the shuttle, rocking forward and back with the beat, and straightening out my knees to the treadles. weaving is definitely a marathon, and it begs the question...

How Is A Loom Like A Treadmill?

i'm wishing you a cushioned, dizzying, revelatory autumn.

as always, my inbox is open for questions, commissions, skill swaps, &c.

and welcome to the loom,

Rosemary's signature

Oct. 4, 2020, 3:52 a.m.

Meet me in the loom