Swedish Lace Towels Draft and Instructions

For those of you who asked, I am including here the full draft and instructions for weaving the Swedish Lace Towels.

I wanted to use traditional Swedish Lace to the fullest on four shafts, so I worked out a profile draft that would include both a table, and the flower motif.  I also knew that I wanted a tea towel that would be close to 20 inches in the reed.  The thread I chose was 2.10 mercerized cotton from UKI in bleached white.  The profile draft I came up with is:

profile only

To determine the threading, Use the Block A thread by thread to replace every A on the threading portion of the profile draft and the Block B thread by thread to replace every B on the threading portion of the profile draft.

The last thread, shown in yellow in each block substitution is called the incidental thread.  The incidental is used only when Block A is followed by another Block A, or Block B is followed by another Block B.  Obviously, if Block A is followed by Block B, the incidental does not need to be used, because Block B starts on shaft 4, and when Block B  is followed by Block A, the incidental does not need to be used, because Block A starts on shaft 1.

The first and last block in the profile is marked PW for Plain Weave, and is threaded on shafts 1 and 4.

A Block  B Block

The first portion of the thread by thread draft is shown below.

Swedish lace threading

Treadle as drawn in according to the profile draft, substituting plain weave, Block A  and Block B as shown below for the first part of the treadling.  As with the threading, use incidentals when Block A is followed by another Block A, or Block B is followed by another Block B:

 

Swedish lace treadling

Details:

Warp and Weft:  2/10 Mercerized cotton, bleached white

Sett: 24 ends per inch

Total warp ends 493

Width in reed:  20.5 inches

Warp length:  3 yards for two towels or 5 yards for four towels.

Weaving:  for each towel: Weave 2 inches for hem, weave as drawn in for 28 inches, weave 2 inches for hem.

Finishing: Machine wash quick setting.  Iron while damp.

About spinweaverbarbara

I have been steadily weaving since 1980. I enjoy sharing and passing on my learning.
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10 Responses to Swedish Lace Towels Draft and Instructions

  1. KerryCan says:

    I loved the look of these towels in your previous post so I’ll be saving this draft for future reference! Thanks for sharing all these details!

  2. Lillie says:

    These towels are gorgeous! Lace is my favorite weave structure. Your tie up shows 4 more treadles tied up. What pattern has those being used? Lillie

  3. Susan says:

    Hi Barbara. When threading, do I repeat the pw or only beginning and end ? Thanks

  4. Susan says:

    So in one repeat I’d have pw..blocks A and B pw, then repeat x6 with pw, blocks A, BlocksB, pw:pw, blocks A, Blocks B, pw: etc? For treading do I go top (pw)to bottom, back to pw etc? I’m new to this. Appreciate your help! Thx

  5. Susan says:

    Guess what I’m trying to ask regarding the threading is if pw is at beginning and end of each repeat

  6. Susan says:

    I am looking at the thread by thread draft

  7. Susan says:

    Me again. Ok a fellow weaver on the four shaft group cleared things up for me! Now my question is on treading. I begin with pw for 6 picks. Then block A-B-B-A-A. Do I then go back to repeat starting with pw or go on to block A etc? Thank you!

    • So, if you look at the profile draft you will see that the plain weave only forms a border around the whole piece, and plain weave is not used again within the towel. Follow the block order shown in the profile draft. With Swedish Lace, the key is that the thread highlighted in yellow is only used when A follows A or when B follows B, and is not used when B follows A or when A follows B. (This ties down the float and preserves the odd-even sequence of shafts.) If you are still confused, research Swedish Lace.

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