Friday, October 17, 2008

Summer & Winter: Treadling

By Leigh

S&W Intro (a)

Threading (a)

Tie-Up (a)

Now we get to treadling. Here are the "rules." Summer & winter treadling:

  • Alternates tabby and pattern sheds
  • Includes a tie-down thread with each pattern thread. A treadle may be tied up so that both are lifted together, or for skeleton tie-ups, the weaver must treadle these together.
Each S&W unit can create two pattern sheds because it contains two tie-down ends. The pattern threads can be lifted with either of the tie-down threads. The texture of the fabric depends upon the order that these sheds are treadled in.

Below are some examples to explain what I mean. I dug the photos out from a previous post, because they illustrate the four traditional S&W treadlings for a 4-shaft, 2-block S&W.

In the first example, the treadling alternates the two pattern sheds (each shed with it's own tie-down end).

Traditional summer & winter treadling.Pattern shed 1 (with first tie-down end)
Tabby a
Pattern shed 2 (with 2nd tie-down end)
Tabby b
Repeat

This is often referred to as 1-2-1-2 treadling, referring to the alternating tie-downs. It creates a "brick" effect, so called because the pattern weft in the rows gives the appearance of a traditional brick pattern (which you can't see in the above photo) :(

Next is the X's treadling. You can see the X's in that pattern below.

X's summer & winter treadling.This requires paired pattern shafts for each block: 2-1-1-2:

Pattern shed 2
Tabby a
Pattern shed 1
Tabby b
Pattern shed 1
Tabby a
Pattern shed 2
Tabby b

The next one is the O's treadling, which is also a paired treadling, except that it starts on the other pattern shaft. So it is treadled 1-2-2-1.

O's summer & winter treadling.Pattern shed 1
Tabby a
Pattern shed 2
Tabby b
Pattern shed 2
Tabby a
Pattern shed 1
Tabby b

The last one is the "columns" or dukagång treadling.

Dukagång summer & winter treadling.This one uses only one pattern shed for the entire treadling block: 1-1-1-1 or 2-2-2-2. Either:

Pattern 1
Tabby a
Pattern 1
Tabby b
Pattern 1
Tabby a
Pattern 1
Tabby b

or

Pattern 2
Tabby a
Pattern 2
Tabby b
Pattern 2
Tabby a
Pattern 2
Tabby b

Skeleton tie-up treadling for any of the above requires the use of both feet. For example:

Tabby a (right foot)
Pattern + Tie-down 1 (both feet)
Tabby b (right foot)
Pattern + Tie-down 2 (both feet)
Etc.

Tabby treadling can be notated in several different ways. Sometime it isn't notated at all; the weaver is expected to be familiar enough with the structure to know to use it. Sometimes the draft will just say "use tabby", indicating that the weaver is to throw alternating tabby shots after each pattern shot.

Well, I don't know if anyone else understands S&W any better now, but I think I do. The review has done me good, and I'm excited about taking the next step in this journey.


Related Posts:
Summer & Winter: A Basic Definition
Summer & Winter: Threading
Summer & Winter: Tie-Up
Summer & Winter: Structure and Theory

7 comments:

Sharon said...

Oh Leigh, I so wish you didn't live across the continent from me so I could drop by and see what you're doing. I have never been able to grasp what summer and winter mean. It took a long while for me to get color and weave. I'm still back on your m's and o's from last year! I'm warping a bout at a time, which seems to a bout a week. Lord have mercy. Maybe I'll be on board with you next year and just bypass summer and weave.

Leigh said...

Sharon, I'm really in the same boat you are. I have a very difficult time visualizing from a word description alone. I usually even have a hard time following it with accompanying pictures! I think it's because I'm a visual learner.

The amazing thing about weaving is that we really don't have to understand it to weave it. I just love following the directions and then watching something beautiful unfold before my eyes.

Thanks for muddling through this with me though. :)

Julie said...

I agree with Sharon why do you live so far from me I would really like lessons!!!!!

Kathy said...

Me, too...I agree with Sharon that you need to be closer. Maybe we should all move that-a-way?
Your S&W weavings reminds me that I have a stack of squares of different SW patterns our guild did in Kansas. Each person in the study did a warping of a SW pattern on their loom, then we all went to each others' houses to weave our sample off, using weft yarns we chose for ourselves. It was a great way to do the sampler as well as try out each others' looms!
Keep 'em comin'! :)

Unknown said...

I just found your blog. Thanks for this great explanation of Summer and Winter- I just finished some and it took me a long time to figure out what the heck I was doing! Your posts about this topic are very very helpful.

Unknown said...

A draft would be ever so lovely all text leaves me abandoning the project

Leigh said...

I had to look around to see if I had posted any drafts, but I didn't. I actually didn't write any out, I just experimented with the principles and had fun!