Hi again,

I am still working with the Hoskins book, and need some more help. I am confused by the draft on p. 173. I don't understand what the treadling order is. If anyone can give me some insight, I would really appreciate it. 

Comments

Tue, 03/12/2013 - 19:34

Bonnie Inouye (not verified)

I don't have that book but I understand overshot (or twill) woven on opposites. Look at your first pattern pick. Two shafts are up and two are down; this pattern weft goes under the raised warps and over the others.

Now you want to weave the second pattern weft, which is a different color from the first. Whichever shafts were up before, those go down now. And the shafts that were down before will be up this time. That's the opposite lift. With a 2/2 tie-up, treadle 1 and treadle 3 are opposites, so if the first pattern pick used treadle 1, the second patter uses treadle 3. You can see this pair of wefts covering the warp on both faces of the cloth- first one is on top, then the other, because they trade places.

No need for tabbies. This is a weft-faced or weft-emphasis cloth depending on the sett and beat. If you have trouble covering the weft and want to make it weft-faced, try a smoother and/or finer weft yarn. Or add weight to the beater or open the sett.

If the original overshot treadling sequence started with treadles 1, 2, 3, 4, (with tabbies for overshot), the treadling on opposites will be 1A (weft A), 3B, 2A, 4B, 3A, 1B, 4A, 2B. The A wefts keep the same order as before. The B wefts are on the opposite lifts. No tabbies. Any time you had weft A on treadle 1 for the regular overshot draft, now you have 1A, 3B.

You only use 4 treadles for this 4-shaft weave, so the draft can be turned without needing more shafts.

Bonnie