While waiting for my new-to-me 4S/6T countermarch to arrive, I've been re-reading countermarch tie-up and making plans.  In Joanne Hall's new book on warping, she recommends starting with a "standard" tie-up, so that each treadle represents one possible combination of two shafts. e.g, Treadle 1: shafts 1 and 4, treadle 2: shafts 1 and 2, treadle 3: shafts 1 and 3, treadle: 4: shafts 2 and 4, etc.  

I like twills, and so had been leaning towards a point twill tie-up (my terminology is lacking here), with tabby on the outside:  treadle 1: shafts 1 and 3, treadle 2: shaft 1 , treadle 3; shaft 2, treadle 4: shaft 3, treadle 5: shaft 4, treadle 6: shafts 2 and 4.  An alternative would be to put the tabby in the middle:  1, 2, 1-3, 2-4, 3, 4.  Ergonomically, that is probably preferable because the knee and ankle would be aligned when lifting two shafts.

I know Claudia is partial to "walking the loom", which I take to mean something like 1-3, 3, 1, 2, 4, 2-4.  This ends up being very similar to my planned tie-up, except that the sequence is left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, rather than left, left, right, right.  She generously let me try it out on her loom, but I found adapting to the sequence difficult.   I've done 3-1 twills on my navajo loom, and have gotten very accustomed to 1,2,3,4.

So what is the advantage of standard tie-up?  What treadling sequences have you found easiest to master?

Thanks,

Mary

 

Comments

Wed, 10/06/2010 - 00:24

Claudia Segal (not verified)

You beat me to it.  I would definitely have it like this:

1- shafts 1 &3
2- 1
3- 3
4- 4
5= 2
6- shaft 2 & 4  

I had my loom set up differently when you were here.  I prefer to rock back and forth and that's what you can do here.  In fact, if you are doing a twill, you can have one foot on 2 and the other on 5 then lift your left foot off 2 and put it on 3 for the shafts 2&3, etc and from there.  You will only have to lift one foot and have a partially closed shed when you beat.

What do you think of that plan.

Claudia

Sun, 10/10/2010 - 00:24

MaryMartha

Oh, I bet "standard tie-up" refers to the treadle tieup for 2/2 twill combined with two treadles for tabby.  Its a very common tie-up draft in Dixon's handweaver's pattern directory. She also uses it for overshot. It looks like this:

Claudia and I were talking about a 6 treadle tie-up  (however distributed) appropriate to 1/3 twill plus tabby.  I suppose you could also do a 2/2 twill with it, by treadling with both feet.

A 3/1 twill on four shafts requires a unique tie-up, right?

I feel like I'm starting to get it - always a dangerous thing.