Samples #3 & 4 of my 4-shaft crackle manners of weaving sampler
Overshot manner (also known as traditional crackle) is probably the most well
known and popular of the crackle manners of weaving. In fact, some books (such
as Anne Dixon's
The Handweaver's Pattern Directory) show it as the only way to weave crackle. It's the most traditional way
(hence the name "traditional crackle") and is probably synonymous with
crackle in the minds of many weavers.
I wove two samples in overshot manner. The first (sample #3) was "as drawn in" for the threading pattern, i.e. I followed the threading draft for the treadling. The second (#4) was a small "novelty" overshot treadling I found in Marguerite Porter Davison's A Handweaver's Pattern Book.
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| #3. Crackle in overshot manner woven as drawn in |
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| #4. Overshot manner crackle in one of Davison't patterns |
Overshot Manner Crackle Characteristics
- two shuttles
- alternates pattern and tabby wefts
- pattern weft
- heavier than tabby wefts and warp
- contrasting color to warp and tabby wefts
- tabby weft - same as warp
- as with overshot, the tabby wefts alternate to create a plain weave ground cloth, while the pattern weft is supplementary, floating over and under groups of warp thread
- differs from overshot as there are no floats longer than three threads. The pattern weft is tied down every 4th warp end.
- typically uses a 2/2 twill tie-up (or lift plan for a table loom)
- shaft 1: 3-4
- shaft 2: 1-4
- shaft 3: 1-2
- shaft 4: 2-3
- treadling (numbers indicate shafts, a & b = tabby shots)
- block A: 2 a 2 b
- block B: 3 a 3 b
- block C: 4 a 4 b
- block D: 1 a 1 b
- most overshot treadling patterns will work with crackle threading
- Patterns featured in Marguerite Porter Davison's A Handweaver's Pattern Book and Anne Dixon's the Handweaver's Pattern Directory use this manner of weaving.
Weaving Notes
- Sample #1
- warp and tabby are 10/2 in natural, pattern is 6/2 in gray
- treadled following the threading draft, as drawn in
- I should have used a pattern weft with a better color contrast
- And I think a heavier pattern weft would have looked better
- woven to square
- Sample #2
- warp and tabby are 10/2 in natural, pattern weft is 6/2 in navy
- I like the stronger color contrast better
- the treadling pattern is variation VII of Valley Forge Dogwood, a small novelty overshot from Davison's Handweavers Pattern Book, (page 148)
- overshot treadling drafts can be long and complicated, but for my sampler, I wanted something short and easy to follow. This one was perfect and I like it.
- Overshot manner weaves a little faster than classic crackle, I reckon because the tabby is always 1-3, 2-4, no matter what block I'm on.
Another Example
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| Detail from my overshot manner table runner, Scandinavian Favorite. |
Resources
- Wilson, Susan, Weave Classic Crackle & More, pages 33-35
- Brusic, Lucy M., A Crackle Weave Companion, page 26
- Davison, Marguerite Porter, A Handweavers Pattern Book, page 148
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2 comments:
Leigh, I like the gray. It is very soothing. And the "brick" portion of the weave looks great.
TB, thanks! I'm discovering what a great color gray is. :)
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