I thought there was more to it than what I came up with in the other post :)
I learned there's a definite limit to what my 2-yard warping mill will hold. I had to 'break' my 21.5 yard warps into 4 sections for easier winding, and even that was a little tight. No wonder I ran out of good stuff for choke ties :) I put each section of warp into a plastic shopping bag, and labeled the bag with the number of the section, so there would be no question of what went where when the time came to beam. (It mattered because I did a 4", then 5", then 5", then 4" sections in the all-white warp--easier to slip the sections on the back apron rod that way.)
I'm not sure yet, but I think it would also be best to warp each section individually. I tied the slip knot in two 'chunks' held together, and put one weight on that. However, it's difficult to make sure each chunk of warp is held exactly evenly. Thankfully, since the warp was so long, the inevitable uneveness did distribute so that it was unnoticeable while weaving, and didn't affect the finished towels. WHEW!!!
And I used my usual two-block twill weave structure that's so nice for towels. But, for the first time, I wove a warp treadling only one block, to make length-wise stripes of 3/1 and 1/3 twill, thinking the combination of threading and striping would be too busy if done with two blocks in the treadling. Nice idea, bad structure. The sides of the warp curl in toward the weft-faced side, and are just about impossible to iron flat. And then the whole thing collapses in pleats when washed. <sigh>
Not only that, but it really did look nicer woven in two blocks instead of one! I found that out when I did the last 3 towels by themselves--went ahead and treadled two blocks. The warp was striped in 5 colors in an order derived from name-drafting and doing 8 wraps of the 5 colors. Then the threading was also derived from a name-draft, but using a different name with many more letters, so that the change of block didn't always coincide with the change of color stripe. Treadled with two blocks instead of one, I not only eliminated the accordian folding, and minimized the curling of the edges, but got a much more interesting towel to look at.
I guess I should stick with what I know when doing a commission! Yes, BFO kind of lesson there :)
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