Network drafting

TURNED TWILLS ON EIGHT SHAFTS

ALICE SCHLEIN

T his article is the third in a series

(see part I in HANDWOVEN,
January/February 2001, pages 46–49
and part II in HANDWOVEN, March/April
1. Two blocks of turned twill

8
B

7
6
5
A

7
8 8 8

6 6
7 7

5 5 5
6
5
6
7
8
2. 1/3 or 3/1 twill
lift plan 1/3 twill lift plan 3/1 twill

2001, pages 38–41). In this article we will

4 4 4 4 4
use the same structure—turned twill— 3 3 3 3 3
with network drafting. 2 2 2 2 2
1 1 1 1 1 tie-up. treadling 1/3 twill tie-up, treadling 3/1 twill
/
Turned twill
/
Turned twill (also called reverse twill, /
twill diaper, twill blocks) is a block weave /
/
in which four thread units in both warp /
and weft can produce either 3/1 twill or /
1/3 twill; see Figure 1. When turned twill /

is used in the conventional way, two

3a. A 4-end
blocks are possible on eight shafts, and
twill network
the resulting fabric shows squares or rec-
tangles of pattern in one twill on a back-
ground of the other. In part II, we saw 3b. A pattern
how the use of color can make a chunky line is placed on
2-block design look more complex, with the network
greater visual interest. In this article, we’ll
see how complexity and interest can be 3c. Hits (green)
achieved with network drafting. and squares
Network drafting is not a weave struc- (blue) above the
ture. It is a system for breaking free of the line become the
block constraint to allow curves and other new threading
non-linear shapes. Network drafting can
be applied to most block weaves and is
Network drafting: the initial then use either a tie-up and treadling or
especially effective with turned twill. a lift plan to weave 1/3 or 3/1 twill; see
The most basic tool in network drafting,
the initial, is the smallest amount of in- Figure 2.
formation necessary to define a particu-
Alice Schlein, of The threading network
Greenville, South lar weave. For 3/1 and 1/3 twills, for ex-
Carolina, can be found ample, we use a 4-end initial, 1-2-3-4. On eight or more shafts, we can extend
weaving dishtowels To write a draft for 3/1 or 1/3 twill for the initial and develop a threading net-
when she’s not weaving
pictures on her TC1 a 4-shaft loom, 1-2-3-4 is repeated in the work. A network is simply a map of the
jacquard loom. threading as many times as necessary for legal threading positions for any given
the required width of the cloth. We can weave. For eight shafts, repeat the 4-end
1 HANDWOVEN www.inter weave.com
NETWORK DRAFTING 2
initial twice in height and as many times 4. Several structures can be woven using a threading based on a 4-end initial
as desired in width; see Figure 3a. (If
twelve shafts are available, the initial can
be repeated three times in height; for six-
teen shafts, four times, etc.) The width of
the network is the total width of the
threading (or threading repeat) and must
be an exact repeat of the number of ends
in the initial (in this case, it must be mul-
tiple of four); see Figure 3b.

The pattern line

Draw a curved pattern line on the thread-
ing network. Constrain the height of this
curve to shaft 5 of an 8-shaft network approach is to treadle as-drawn-in with work will be disrupted. In Figure 5,
(this will ensure that motifs are self-con- any twill tie-up which shows no floats chunks are cut from a 3/1 twill lift plan
tained and do not join each other); see longer than three threads; see an exam- and pasted onto a 1/3 twill lift plan; see
Figure 3b. For more information about ple in Figure 6. (To weave as-drawn-in, the resulting drawdown in Figure 7. That’s
the shaft rule and other aspects of net- read the threading draft but substitute the all there is to it!
work drafting beyond the scope of this treadle for the shaft number, i.e. treadle
article; see Resources. 1 for shaft 1, treadle 2 for shaft 2, etc.) Fuzzy edges
Notice that the edges of the networked
The threading Cut-and-paste lift plans designs have a blurry or saw-toothed look,
Examine the pattern line in Figure 3b. A more elegant solution is to cut and unlike the clean-cut edges of block com-
Wherever it intersects a legal network paste lift plans. Any two (or more) lift positions. This is not to be considered a
position, i.e., wherever it crosses a filled- plans weavable on a given network can fault, but rather a natural effect of net-
in square on the threading network, the be cut and pasted together to form a lift work drafting. The structure of the fabric
square is considered a “hit”—the actual plan weavable on any threading plotted remains sound in these edge zones—it is
threading position for a warp thread (iden- on that network. Let’s take a lift plan for only the design that wanders. If you dis-
tified by green squares in Figure 3b; you 1/3 twill, for example, and unite it surgi- like the saw-toothed effect, network draft-
can circle the hits on your graph paper). cally with a lift plan for 3/1 twill. Any size ing is probably alien territory for you, and
There will be a number of columns, pieces may be used, but chunks from three you should leave immediately and return
probably the majority, in fact, with no to five squares in length and/or width will to blockier blocks. But if, like me, you are
hits. For these columns, find the next legal have clearer definition on eight shafts. attracted to the chaotic edge effect, then
network position (filled-in square) above Be sure to keep the pieces in their same welcome to the fascinating new world of
the pattern line and circle this square relative positions in their “cut from” and curves, illusions, and other weaving sur-
(identified by blue squares in Figure 3b; “pasted to” lift plans; otherwise the net- prises—all structurally sound!
circle these on your graph paper). The
circled squares become the final thread- 5. Cut-and-paste lift plans
ing draft; see Figure 3c.
Since each thread in our new net- First create some curved
shapes three to five
worked threading falls on a legal network
squares wide. Make a
position for 4-end twill, any structure that 3/1 twill lift plan and use
can be woven using the 4-end initial can the shapes as patterns to
also be woven on the networked thread- cut sections from the lift
ing. For example, with the networked plan. Make a 1/3 twill
threading in Figure 3c, we can, if we wish, lift plan. Paste the sec-
tions of 3/1 twill on top
weave allover plain weave, basket weave,
of the 1/3 twill lift plan.
double weave, or any of the 4-end twills; Make sure that corre-
see some of these examples in Figure 4. sponding rows coincide
(top row of cut-and-
The as-drawn-in option paste aligned with top
row of 1/3 twill lift plan.
But what else can we do with our net-
worked twill threading? A very simple
3 HANDWOVEN www.inter weave.com
6. Networked thrading draft with twill tie-up woven as-drawn-in 7. Networked threading draft woven with lift plan from Figure 5

8a. Draft in Figure 7 with a single color in warp and weft 8b. Draft in Figure 7 with a striped warp and a single color weft

NETWORK DRAFTING 4
9. Threading draft for dishtowels 10. Tie-up
d c b a and treadling
8 8 8
7 7 7 7 7 7 for standard
6 6 6 6 6 6 floor loom
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
3 3 3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2 2 2
1 1 1

Thread: 2 floating selvedges (2 ends),

c–d 1x (4 ends),
a–d 8x (384 ends), 11. Lift plan for
a–b 1x (4 ends), dobby or
2 floating selvedges (2 ends)
table loom
= 396 total ends.

Color effects equate for 1⁄2-yd loom waste, a small

The new networked turned-twill draft is amount for sampling, and three towels.
very effective in a single warp color Begin weaving with 1⁄2" scrap yarn in plain
crossed with a single contrasting-color weave (alternately raise shafts 1-3-5-7 and
weft; compare Figures 8a and 8b. Varia- 2-4-6-8). Begin and end each towel with
tions in color orders add greatly to the in- 24 picks plain weave for hems. Follow the
terest of twill drafts, however. The three lift plan in Figure 10 (if you have a dobby
dishtowels on page 2 are all woven on the or table loom) or the treadling in Figure
same striped warp, each with a different 11 (if you have a standard floor loom) for
single-colored weft. approximately 28" for each towel. Use as
Instead of emphasizing the circles, weft for towel A black, towel B yellow
these designs give the effect of bursts of red, and towel C red.
color fading in and out of the fabric
Finishing the dishtowels
where the structure changes from 1/3 to
3/1 twill and back. The color boundaries Secure scrap yarn at ends of weaving with
are fluid and imprecise because of the machine stitching. Machine wash with
fuzzy edges of the twill areas. A visual ef- warm water and mild detergent. Machine
fect similar to ikat is achieved through dry on medium heat. Trim off scrap yarn
structure alone, without time-consuming and cut towels apart. Fold plain weave
dyeing! area at each end of each towel under
twice and sew hems by hand. Steam press
The distowels on cotton setting.
Wind a warp and prepare the loom fol- Resources
lowing Figure 9 and Project at-a-glance. Schlein, Alice. Network Drafting: An Introduc-
Note that the first and last two ends are tion. Greenville, South Carolina: Bridge-
floating selvedges. Warp amounts are ad- water Press, 1994.

PROJECT at-a-glance
Weave structure for towels Weft: 10/2 pearl cotton; for Towel A, Blue Green, 2 Purple) 16x; 12 black.
Turned twill (1/3 vs 3/1 twill blocks). black 11⁄2 oz; Towel B #10 Yellow Red Warp and weft spacing
Equipment 11⁄2 oz; for Towel C #10 Red 11⁄2 oz. Warp: 24 epi (2/dent in a 12-dent reed).
8-shaft loom, 161⁄2" weaving width; Yarn sources Width in the reed, 161⁄2". Weft: 24 ppi.
12-dent reed; 1 shuttle. All yarns are courtesy of and available Take-up and shrinkage
Yarns from the Lunatic Fringe. After washing, 15% in width, 14% in
Warp: 10/2 pearl cotton (4,200 yd/lb), Warp order and length length (5% take-up, 9% shrinkage.
black 31⁄8 oz; #10 Red 1 oz, #5 Blue 396 ends 4 yd long in color order: [12 Amounts provide three hemmed tow-
Green 1 oz; #10 Purple 1 oz. black, 2 Purple, 2 Blue Green, 4 Red, 2 els 14" × 25" each.

5 HANDWOVEN www.inter weave.com