Hi to all who read this,

I am new to Weavolution so if I do something wrong please let me know.

I currently have a naked loom (shock horror) and rather than putting on yet another scarf/shawl/throw, I thought I might try my hand at tea towels.  After having done some research I decided on using 5/2 Pearl Cotton, however, when I mentioned this to a friend she said that Pearl Cotton was not suitable for tea towels because it does not absorb water well.

Trying to be logical about this predicament I took some pearl cotton and some linen and put them into puddles of water that I splashed on the counter top.  The linen was more absorbent, but after some time the pearl cotton did take up the water.

Does anyone out there in weaving land have any suggestions?  Or has anyone woven tea towels with Pearl Cotton and been happy with the absorbent quality.

Sorry if this is a silly question, but the more research I do, the more confused I get.

Any suggestions gratefully appreciated.

Happy Weaving

Belinda

 

 

 

Comments

Thu, 06/27/2013 - 11:15

agneslionel

Welcome to the mercerized-unmercerized debate with a side order of linen. Personally, I like unmercerized better for towels - I made some baby bath sheets in 5/2 and they are nice and soft and aborb well provided you don't use fabric softener on them. For tea towels, I personally prefer a finer thread - those fine threads seem to wick up better. But it's really a matter of personal preference. A lot of these weaving rules are really just, you know, guidelines.

 

Thu, 06/27/2013 - 15:19

sally orgren

Skip the debate, and try what you will be comforable with as you branch out. 5/2 pearl cotton also makes great placemats or runners, which are about the same size as towels.

I prefer unmercerized cotton for towels, (sizes 8/2 to 16/2) so the towel is supple enough you can wipe out the inside of glassware. A 5/2 towel (mercerized or not) is a bit on the coarse side, compared to store-bought. So I wouldn't want to use that on your fine glassware. Pots, pans and plates are okay.

I hope that helps! I have a huge colorful stash of 5/2 mercerized cotton for a variety of projects, 10/2 mercerized, and 16/2 unmercerized. Plenty of room for both kinds of cotton in your weaving world.

Thu, 06/27/2013 - 15:31

laurafry

A thinner thread will be more readily absorbent than a fatter thread. If you are interested, I did a quick study if absorbency and posted the results to my blog. Http://laurasloom.blogspot.com. Click on the Absorbency label to the right hand side of the page. Cheers Laura
Thu, 06/27/2013 - 20:46

Peg.Cherre (not verified)

I hadn't read that post on your absorbency study, Laura.  Great info!

Fri, 06/28/2013 - 09:22

hopeful weaver

Oh my goodness, I am so glad that those who have gone before me have been part of this debate and I am not just a total ditz who should stay away from the loom :0)  

I feel another purchase from the States is in order, with a variety of cottons in different sizes. The tea towels will be placed on hold and I will search for projects that are more suited to the pearl cotton.

Thank you for your very helpful input.

 

 

Fri, 06/28/2013 - 10:47

Peg.Cherre (not verified)

I've woven some scarves and shawls in 5/2 perle cotton.  While I think that's not a typical choice for such pieces, mine are popular.  I sett the cotton at 12 EPI and do huck lace.  You can see them in a recent post on my blog.  I'm sure there are many other wonderful options, too.

Fri, 06/28/2013 - 13:35

sally orgren

are good places to obtain cotton for weaving. Not sure where you are located, but hope you can find some locally or regionally.

Sat, 06/29/2013 - 00:26

hopeful weaver

To Peg and Sally,

Thank you. I live in Australia where there are no dedicated weaving shops/suppliers and the yarn shops are focused mainly on knitters.

To date I have been buying from Halcyon, Yarn Barn of Kansas and WEBS.

I keep telling my (long suffering and ever enduring) husband that it would be cheaper to send me back to the States (where I was born), let me shop to my hearts content, and then bring all the yarn and equipment back to Australia.  

Sigh - He is yet to be convinced.

Thank you for all your valuable input, and Peg, I am off to check out your blog ...... I have fallen in love with the internet and the fact that I can now live vicariously through weavers around the world :0)

Many thanks

Belinda

Sat, 06/29/2013 - 07:25

addictedtoweaving

Hi Belinda, another Aussie weaver, yay, I am in Brisbane and have been weaving for a few years and have found several dedicated suppliers here, the most popular is Petlins, based in Melbourne but in Brisbane an awesome supplier is knit one purl one, you will love the prices and the range in the Brisbane store, me personally have a stash large enough to dedicate a full room to. Good luck with the towels, what type of loom are you weaving with?
Sat, 06/29/2013 - 14:05

sally orgren

I am coming to visit you both, and I will be more than willing to bring a suitcase of yarn for you!

Sat, 06/29/2013 - 14:13

sandra.eberhar…

I use mercerized 5/2 cotton for nice kitchen towels in twill.  They are very absorbent, good looking, and I've gotten rave reviews from recipients.

Sat, 06/29/2013 - 22:06

Yvonne K

Hi Belinda, both Petlins and Glenora craft, in NSW, do mail orders online. They stock Swedish cottons and cottolin, which are the most absorbent , according to Laura Fry. My favourite combination is cottolin warp and linen weft. Good tea towels are not cheap to make, but give daily satisfaction to the hand weaver and are much appreciated as gifts.

Sat, 06/29/2013 - 22:30

agneslionel

Peg, those shawls are just lovely! What a great way to use 5/2 cotton.

Sun, 06/30/2013 - 02:23

hopeful weaver

LOL - Sally - you are on :0)

Just let me know what time to pick you up from the airport !

I keep telling Leonard (husband), that I have to go back to the States just to be able to stand in a dedicated weaving store and look at all the beautiful yarns, shuttles etc.

He bought me a sample card ... somehow it is just not the same :0(

I have finally decided on Bockens 16/2 and once I am able to stand upright again the yarn will have arrived and I can't wait to start weaving some tea towels.

Peg has also solved the problem of what to do with the 5/2 cotton by sharing photographs of her stunning shawls.

This is such a generous group of weavers and I very much appreciate all the wonderful suggestions, advice and insight that has been given.

Thank you all so much

 

Tue, 07/09/2013 - 19:20

LindaHahn

Laura, thank you very much for your absorbency info. Very helpful. I've been weaving with perle cotton making table runners but just didn't care for the hand for towels and suspected they would not be as absorbent as I would like. I want to make towels as gifts for our kids' kitchens and am glad for this very informative info.