Bertha's Towels Weaving Pattern

Pattie Graver's interest in the miniature overshot drafts of Bertha Gray Hayes began when Amanda Cutler posted a very modern-looking sample on the Weaving Today website. She was intrigued by the modern look, and she was off to my studio. She also found inspiration in the work of Susan Wilson who introduced her to the amazing world of treadling variations. Pattie learned that one could wring a lot out of a 4-shaft loom and that weave structures can be "pushed around."

Structure: Overshot

Loom Type: 4-shaft

Finished Dimensions: 2 towels 16" x 26"

YARNS

Warp: 10/2 pearl cotton (4,200 yd/lb, UKI), #142 Purple Passion, 960 yd

Tabby Weft: 10/2 pearl cotton, #142 Purple Passion, 678 yd

Pattern Weft: 5/2 pearl cotton (2,100 yd/lb, UKI, Village Spinning and Weaving), #44 Special Turquoise, 150 yd; #106 Persian Green, 192 yd; #2 Light Turquoise, 78 yd; #152 Pistachio, 104 yd

Warp Ends: 349

Warp Length: 2¾ yd long

SETTS

Warp: 20 epi (2/dent in a 10-dent reed)

Weft: 40 ppi (20 ppi pattern, 20 ppi tabby) in pattern areas; 20 ppi in plain-weave areas

Width in the Reed: 17½"

Take up & Shrinkage: 9% in width 12% in length

Project originally published in Handwoven magazine, November/December 2012

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