Can anyone help me figure out how to balance the drafts in the book The Handweaver's Pattern Directory? I am getting ready to make 10 placemats from the Undulating Twill Point Draft, 2/2, on page 199. I'm using the middle pattern - they call it tan and mauve but it looks more like rust and grey in the book. I am planning to use 3/2 perle cotton, with about 3/4 inch of 10/2 cotton at each end to help me hem the placemats in lieu of fringe.
I understand that there are 38 dents shown, and that I will have to repeat the pattern a few times to get my required width. I think I can figure out that part. I also understand that for the purposes of reading and understanding the threading, I should start from the right (even though I will probably thread from the back of my loom, starting at the other end, since I warp front to back). What I am confused about is exactly how to "balance" this draft on the left side of the placemats so that I won't cut off the pattern in midstream. I don't think I am going to do separates selvedges -- I'll just take the pattern all the way across. But if I end on shaft 1,2,3 as shown, am I going to have a problem? Can anyone explain how to "balance".....?
I do think I "get" that for each repeat of this draft, when I end with 1,2,3 and then start over at the beginning (at right on the page), with 4,3,2,1, there will be a "point". But the directions started the pattern in the middle of the point anyway. Is there a chance that I don't need to do anything at all, other than repeat this entire pattern X amount of times, and maybe the book has already allowed for balance?
As you can see I'm not quite "there" yet with straying away from a pattern in Handwoven. I have done some pointed twills from there which worked out fine, but the authors had already done some of the math and figuring. Thanks for any help!
Cindy in MD