I consider myself fairly adept at being able to follow written directions, but I'm perplexed by Guntrams tablet weaving program.  He has rearranged the threading and gives instructions on how to correct it, but for some reason I just don't understand these directions.  How do I use this program to weave the beautiful patterns?  I would prefer not to have to warp up yet another sample to give it go.  Can anyone please explain this in plain English for me?  

Comments

rosearbor (not verified)

Try reversing your "normal" S and Z, and imagine your cards facing right instead of left.  That helped me, I dont know if it will work for you.

Have you downloaded any of his patterns and looked at them?  

Mystic Handworks

I have downloaded them, but haven't given them a try or tried to follow them since I know the threading is wrong.  So if I thread all the cards that should be "Z" to "S" threading and all the "S" cards to "Z" and have my cards face the right then the patterns should work?

rosearbor (not verified)

This is how I work with GTT- because I think of S and Z as threading.  All I need to do is face the cards right, and make sure I follow the ABCD labels as shown in the threading diagram.  You can print this from GTT.Threading from GTT diagram

I make the next document in Word by using the copy function in GTT to copy the drawdown as an image.  Then turn off the colors, and turn on the FB designation.   The yellow highlighting was added in Word to show the cards that always turn one direction.  I size them to fit side by side.  GTT always starts with AD on top.GTT tablet weaving drawdown pasted into Word

Edited to correct the way the cards face!

Mystic Handworks

Great, thanks.  I appreciate it.  I read his description again and still it made no sense.  This seams like the same thing I do anyway, so I'm not sure what is differnt.  The picture of the paper says cards face right and your description says cards face left.  

rosearbor (not verified)

Oops, I made a mistake.  I make sure the cards face RIGHT.  

Mystic Handworks

Thanks for clearing that up.  It sounds like I just make sure to have cards face the right and then thread it the same.

 

GLORIA LUCIA

Hello.

I found yor comment and let me tell you I have the same problem. Specially on how to "read" the designs on GTT program. Any help?

Thank you very much.

Gloria Lucia.

rosearbor (not verified)

Hi, 

I learned how to read them by messing them up a lot!  Specifically I would open up one of his designs, save under a different name then try to continue the pattern by adding rows.  If it came out wrong, I just undid it until I figured out which cards needed to turn forwards and backwards.  Much easier thatn warping up cards and making a mess.  Once I understood the movements in the software it became easier to do it in practice.  It's easiest to start with really simple Forward and Back designs, then play around with the number of turns.  So start with a 4F4B, then try making it 6F6B, then 8F8B.  If your patterns end up a mess, just open the original, save under a new name, and try again.  

Windwater

 I can understand the frustration people have had.  Designing in the program seemed simple enough and I was even able to recreate some of the band designs, seen elsewhere on the ‘net, in the GTT to breakdown which card to turn when.  The first simple all card front/back patterns didn’t cause any trouble and I started to think ‘this is the best thing ever!’… And then I started on one of the multi movement patterns and about tossed the loom out the window.  Re-threaded twice and still the same errors.

However, the problem wasn’t entirely with the threading (s and z did not change) but that the program is backwards/counter-intuitive to how I had always personally weave. First, the cards are threaded with holes labeled in a counter-clockwise direction (A and B top/bottom closest the weaver, D and C top/bottom on the side farthest from the weaver). I had always created my own designs with the assumption of a clockwise threading.  So, after correcting that I thought ‘ah! Now it will work’.  Not so much… Second, was discovering that the forward/back turning of the cards was also ‘backwards’.  I have had to learn the mantra ‘forward TOWARDS the weaver’ and ‘back AWAY from the weaver’.  Before using the GTT, I had always thought of the card turning in relation to personal motion. Forward was the motion like taking a step forward (away) and backwards looking behind (towards). With those simple (once I realized!) changes the pattern magically appeared just as it was supposed to.

I hope this is helpful to anyone trying to work out GTT patterns found on the net.  The GTT is a great tool that I hope, someday, the creator will update. J

 

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