The Bitter End

Today, I finally (!) reached the very end of the towel warp. I must have lost count somewhere, because the final tally is 17 towels (on a warp planned for 16). I used a measuring tape to ensure that all 17 were the same length (31 inches under tension).

Here you can see the apron knots getting so close to the rearmost heddles that the DH-built shaft lifting system had trouble. "Trying, trying, nope, can't open that shed!" which told me that even if there were still a few inches of warp, the loom wasn't planning to weave 'em. Luckily, towel #17 came in at exactly 31 inches, so I'm happy.

And after cutting off the woven cloth, the heap of towels on the ironing board was a very satisfying sight. Now comes the process of cutting them apart, stay-stitching the ends, mending any oopsies, laundering, pressing, hemming, and pressing again...