| ===================== Twill Guidelines (Selvedge) ===================== These instructions apply to 2/2 twills. There is a way to determine beforehand how to thread and where to start to catch your edge threads in twill. I will give instructions for "regular" twills - meaning that each end is threaded in order (either up or down) from the preceding shaft (i.e. An end on shaft 2 is always followed by an end on shaft 3 or 1). SHORT GUIDELINES: When threading, start one side with an even shaft and end on an odd shaft (or vice versa). Look at the first two picks in your treadling. One thread will be up for both picks. If that thread is on an even shaft, then start your shuttle from the side threaded to an even shaft. If it is an odd shaft, start from the side threaded to an odd shaft. Voila! LONGER EXPLANATION: To catch your edge threads, you need to be at a point in your treadling where the thread changes position (i.e. Up or down) from one shot to the next. For example, you have a twill threading (1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4) and a twill tie-up (12 23 34 41) (rising shed). Every thread (at some point) will be up for two shots and then down for two shots (i.e. 2/2 twill). If you start treadling at "12", then threads on shaft 2 will be up for two shots (and shaft 4 will be down for two shots). After two shots (12 23) you are back on the side you started, so you need the edge thread to change position for the next shot. At that point in the treadling (going from 23 to 34), only the even threads change position (2 goes from up to down and 4 goes from down to up). So, if you started on the side that the edge end was threaded on shaft 4, your edge thread will change position, and will be caught. This should work for any 2/2 twill - including 8-shaft twills and twills that change direction. However, some of these twills (rosepath, for example) have three thread floats at turning points. I usually don't thread the edge thread on the shaft that is at a turning point, just to avoid three thread floats at the edges. For example, I may thread the "odd" edge on shaft 3 instead of shaft 1 in rosepath. Linda, Winnipeg ---------------- If you usually start on the right edge of your rugs, thread your twill 4,3,2,1. As long you you don't change directions from straight twill you will catch the edge warp. If you are going to change directions like for a zig-zag twill, put on a floating selvedge. Go over it going in and under it going out. Besides the extra warp thread re-enforces the edge. Ann Nelson -------------- I'll give you this one hint that will help you find the right treadle to start on. First I start my throws from the right. But before throwing my first pick I work the treadles and this is what I am looking for. I want the far left thread to be down, then I find the first treadle that raises the left thread. Now back up one so that the left thread is back down and throw my shot, so when I return to the right and using the next treadle, I go under the now raised left thread. Paul --------------- |
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| "There is a way to determine beforehand how to thread and where to start to catch your edge threads in twill." |
| "I'll give you this one hint..." |