For the Cotton Bouclé towel kits - do you weave the hem with the boucle'. I assumed you did, but the finishing directions says to roll them hem to where the boucle' starts. So, I wasn't sure. Wow this yard breaks easily! I'm also not used to such an open weave - I'm keeping to the 12 ppi - I assume it will tighten up a lot with finishing? Thanks! learning a lot!
Cotton Bouclé towels
General topics on handweaving
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JoEllen Sefton
Ginette
Hi JoEllen,
Just wondering what reed were you using for the Boucle?
Yes the yarn will bloom when your towels are washed :) They are favourites in my home. Like Patti, I also use the cotton boucle for the hems.
I'm using a 6 dent reed, double sleyed. This is also the first real warp (I did an 8/2 sample warp) on a new to me loom I'm refurbishing - so I'm learning the loom as well and still fixing things I didn't know needed it. So lots to learn!
Folks respond so quickly in this forum and are so much help - THANK YOU!
So glad the forum is helpful! Thinking about your threads breaking, can you release the tension just a tiny bit to see if that helps? That's great that you are using a 6 dent reed, this reed size is so much gentler on the boucle yarn.
I had the most issues with breakage during warping. I am using much less tension than I usually use. Im used to doing rag rugs and tapestry where I go as tight as I can. Now that its all warped and fixed I'm on a roll abd its weaving up nicely!😁
Ginette
Ginette
One more question - I just watched the clip on hemming towels. I also remember where folks have talked about hemstitching. Do folks hemstitch on items they are also going to hem? Thanks!
I just made the Granny Pam color way in bouclé and LOVE them. Actually my children have all 8 towels so I need to weave some more bouclé towels for us! I have a serger and finished the ends by serging, then folding, pressing and hand sewing the seams. A zig zag stitch on your sewing machine works just as well to prevent raveling while you hem. They washed up so squishy and nice - you're going to love them!
I hemstitch items that I don't intend to fold and hem. Have fun weaving!
Ginette
Thanks for your help! this is my first time with boucle' - I can't wait to see what they look like! The first one is for me, finished it last night, so I can make mistakes and figure it out. Each sister gets 2 for her birthday this year - I get the other one that is less that perfect. I've done rag rugs in the past to this is VERY different and goes SO much faster! Can't wait to get home and do more!
marygehling
I'm really a newby at weaving. I picked up a couple of cones of boucle' of unknown fiber content at a thrift store. I thought they would make great towels for wiping off water on my car. NOT! Could it be that it was not cotton fiber?
Hi Bonny,
Give your towels a few more washes. Tea towels woven with natural fibres just get better the more you use & wash them.
You can see if the yarn is a natural fibre with some off your cone, with a burn test - safety first though! You can look it up online, there's several places that guide you on how to do this safely and what it will look and smell like. For cotton, it'll smell a bit like burnt paper. 🤞that your thrift store find is natural fibres :)
Thank you so much, Ginette. I did try the burn test and they are definitely acrylic. I will try washing them a whole bunch. Thank you, again, for your help..
Glad you gave the burn test a try. I'm not sure how well acrylic towels do for absorbency. If you still have some yarn on the cones, I bet it would make a lovely cozy scarf!