Droppdräll Towel by Arianna Funk

Free Pattern to Weave a Droppdräll Bath Towel with Arianna Funk

Droppdräll Towel

UPDATE: The yarn originally used for this project has been discontinued. Click here for the updated version of the project!

In correlation with this week's podcast episode, we are excited to collaborate with Arianna Funk to share this beautiful project of her design using our 8/3 Unmercerized Italian Cotton Weaving Yarn. Arianna is a handweaver in Stockholm, and the founder of Weave of the Month Club, a weaving pattern subscription in which members receive monthly weaving projects and inspiration.

To join the Weave of the Month Club and receive monthly curated weaving drafts and inspiration photos (Analog members will also receive a handwoven sample & yarn chart) click here!

Materials

Warp & Weft:3 skeins of 8/3 Unmercerized Italian Cotton Weaving Yarn in contrasting colors

Project Notes

Tools Required: 4 shaft floor or table loom
EPI: 18 (7 ends per cm)
PPI: 15 in tabby (6 ends per cm), in the patterned sections: 10 tabby and 3 pattern wefts
Width at Reed: 34.5" (88 cm)
Warp Ends: 620
Warp Length: 2.4 yards (2.2 m)
Draft: Droppdräll (see draft below)
Finished Dimensions: One towel hemmed, about 29” x 45” (74 x 114 cm) | Cut down but prewash: 32” x 52.75” (81 x 134 cm) | In loom: 34.5” x 59.5” (88 x 150 cm)
Finishing Details: Machine or hand sewn hem
Care Instructions: Machine wash warm with like colors, tumble dry low

Draft

This droppdräll draft is written slightly different than American weaving drafts. For this project, we will learn how to read a Swedish weaving draft.

Arianna writes, "Because of the way we dress the loom, Swedish drafts are set up as if one is sitting on one's bench at the loom. The harnesses are numbered 1-4, with 1 being the furthest away from you. If you thread from inside the loom just turn it upside down!

The treadling is also shown as if you are sitting at the loom, the wefts build on each other in the cloth just as they're shown in the draft. Treadle 1 is furthest to the right and treadle 4 is furthest to the left."

To create the pattern Arianna divided the draft into four sections. From right to left thread as follows:

Section 1: 56 ends of plain tabby
Section 2: 18 ends x 28 repeats for a total of 504 ends
Section 3: 5 ends that completes the pattern
Section 4: 55 ends of plain tabby

Weaving & Finishing

Color A = 8/3 Unmercerized Italian Cotton in Copper, Color B = 8/3 Unmercerized Italian Cotton in Cream

Warp Color Order: Wind a warp with the following sequence for a total of 620 warp ends.

20 ends Color A
580 ends Color B
20 ends of Color A

Weft Color Order: Weave the following sequence until your towel measures ~59.5" (150 cm) in loom.

6" (15 cm) of Color B plain tabby
4" (10 cm) of Color B tabby weft, Color A pattern weft
6" (15 cm) of Color B tabby weft, Color B pattern weft
27.5" (70 cm) of Color B tabby weft, Color A pattern weft
6" (15 cm) of Color A tabby weft, Color A pattern weft
4" (10 cm) of Color A tabby weft, Color B pattern weft
6" (15 cm) of Color A plain tabby

Finishing: Arianna writes, "Zigzag/overlock the short edges, [to prevent unraveling while washing] and machine wash warm (40 C). It will shrink a LOT after the first wash. Then hem those short edges, I like to do a double fold and hand-sew. Add a little hank for hanging!"

About

Arianna Funk graduated from Friends of Handicraft School in Stockholm in 2017, became a card-carrying journeyman weaver the same year and was awarded the ‘large medal of honor’ for her journeyman work. She is a founding member of Studio Supersju, a group of forward-thinking weavers. In addition to running Weave of the Month Club, she is a teacher and advisor for students in the foundation year at Friends of Handicraft, writes drafts for Väv Magasinet and Svensk Hemslöjd, and her woven art and craft is sold at Fiberspace Gallery and Gustavsbergs Gallery, among other places.