Project: Glimakra twill tea towel kit

Finished twill towels

I first began weaving around mid-October last year.  When I started I had a rigid heddle loom and not a lot of knowledge about what would work well on that piece of equipment. 

I picked up some random "weaving cotton" along with the loom as well as a whole bunch of kits with the intention of using them to help teach me to weave.  I was a little intimidated however, because the kits called for a more advanced loom than I possessed at the time. 

Now we own several looms, including an 8-shaft Louet Jane table loom (aka the "Superloom") [my favourite multi-shaft loom of our bunch] and an 8-shaft (previously 4-shaft) Ashford table loom (aka the "Muscle Loom 2000").    These multi-shaft table looms are perfect for working these kits including the Glimakra "My First Towels" kit. 

Winding up the warp

Technically this kit is inaccurately named - - these were not my first tea towels, nor were they my first kit.  But these kits are great and convenient, with pre-measured and ordered chains that only need to be put on the loom.  Super convenient to set up and get you started weaving quickly - - the perfect project to inaugurate the weaveteria in the new house. 

Ready to start weaving

The kit has enough 8/2 Swedish cotton to work 4 tea towels of approximately 24" each.  I chose to work up a pair of herringbone twill and a pair of goose-eye twill tea towels. 

Herringbone and goose-eye twill on the loom

The towels worked up super quick and easy on 4 shafts.  The heddles were threaded in a 12-end pattern that worked for both the herringbone and goose-eye without changing the tie up.  Treadling for the herringbone was in a repeating 4-row pattern, while treadling for the goose-eye was in a repeating 12-row pattern.

Web fresh off the loom ready for finishing

I frankly enjoyed working the goose-eye towels better than the herringbone because I did not need to worry about floating selveges on the goose-eye twill, while the herringbone was a bit fussy on the left-hand edge, which slowed me down.  All in all, though, both patterns were a delight to weave and look fantastic. 


We finished the towels with a plain hem in zigzag stitch on the machine and then threw the towels into the washer and dryer - - any tea towel that I want to give to someone else had better be durable; they are functional rather than works of art after all. 

Finished herringbone twill

Finished goose-eye twill

I enjoyed this project so much that I picked up more 8/2 Swedish cotton from Vävstuga.  This time I  got a set of colours in a rainbow for a new set of goose-eye twill towels.  The new warp is measured out and ready to wind onto the back beam. 

Ready to wind the warp onto the back beam