Expand your Possibilities! A 4-shaft draft on your 8-shaft Loom. Part 2–Blog Post
Recently, Michele wrote about how to simplify a complicated 4-shaft draft by expanding that draft to 8-shafts. Click here to see that blog. This week, she wants to go more in depth about changing a 4-shaft Rosepath draft for the Seaside Towels into an 8-shaft draft that is easy to weave.
by Michele B.
I wanted to convert the sweet 4-shaft Rosepath draft for the Seaside Towels into a warp with more versatility for my 8-shaft loom. I especially wanted to add double weave hems, which I knew I could easily do with an 8-shaft threading. I can do this because the 4-shaft Rosepath threading has 8 ends in each threading repeat.
Let’s go through the process together! The original 4-shaft Rosepath draft is shown on the right.
Write Out the Original Shaft Order
I begin by making a table with the full repeat of the original threading in the left-hand column. The first thread is on Shaft 1, the second on Shaft 2, the third thread is on Shaft 1 again. The next thread is on Shaft 4, then Shaft 3, Shaft 2, Shaft 3 and Shaft 4. This is the entire 8-end repeat.
Start the New 8-shaft Order
Now I write the 8-shaft threading in the right-hand column and start to color code the shafts in the 8-shaft version.
The first and second end are threaded the same for both drafts. Shaft 1 is yellow and Shaft 2 is green. To expand the threading to 8-shafts, instead of threading the third end on a shaft I have already used, I spread things out. The third end is threaded on Shaft 3 instead of Shaft 1. To make sure I get the same 4-shaft pattern, every time I lift Shaft 1 now, I also must lift Shaft 3. So, both Shaft 1 and Shaft 2 are colored yellow.
Ends 4 and 5
The fourth end is threaded on Shaft 4, the same as in the original draft. Shaft 4 is colored purple.
The fifth end was threaded on Shaft 3 but will now be threaded on Shaft 5. The threads on Shaft 3 in the original have been reassigned to Shaft 5. The new threading has already used Shaft 3 for the second end originally on Shaft 1, so all the ends originally on Shaft 3 are now on Shaft 5. This may be the most difficult mental step. Those threads are colored blue.
Ends 6, 7 and 8
Thread the 6th end of the original draft on Shaft 6. It was originally on Shaft 2, so Shaft 2 and Shaft 6 will be paired and colored green.
Thread the next end on Shaft 7. It was originally on Shaft 3, so Shaft 5 and Shaft 7 will be paired and colored blue.
The last thread in the repeat of the original 4-shaft draft will be threaded on Shaft 8. Because it was originally on Shaft 4, Shafts 4 and 8 are paired together and both are colored purple.
Written Differently, But Saying the Same Thing:
Note: Even though the fifth end was on Shaft 3 in the 4-shaft draft, in the 8-shaft draft, you don’t use it when you would have used Shaft 3, it lifts only on Shaft 5. The third end of the repeat has been reassigned to Shaft 5.
Now to Change the Tie up!
Treadle 1:
- In the original tie up, Treadle 1 lifts Shaft 1 and 2.
- In the new draft, Shaft 1 is paired with Shaft 3 and Shaft 2 is paired with Shaft 6.
- So, in the 8-shaft tie up, Treadle 1 is tied to Shafts 1, 3, 2, 6.
Treadle 2:
- In the original tie up, Treadle 2 lifts Shafts 1 and 4.
- In the new draft, Shaft 1 is paired with Shaft 3 and Shaft 4 is paired with Shaft 8.
- So, in the 8-shaft tie up, Treadle 2 is tied to Shafts 1, 3, 4, 8.
Treadle 3:
- In the original tie up, Treadle 3 lifted Shafts 3 and 4.
- Here is that difficult leap – Shaft 3 in the old draft HAS MOVED TO SHAFT 5 and is paired with Shaft 7 and Shaft 4 is paired with Shaft 8.
- So, in the 8-shaft tie up, Treadle 3 is tied to shafts 4, 5, 7, and 8.
Treadle 4:
- In the original tie up, Treadle 4 lifted Shafts 2 and 3.
- In the new draft, Shaft 2 is paired with Shaft 6 and again Shaft 3 in the old draft HAS MOVED TO SHAFT 5 and is paired with Shaft 7.
- So, in the 8-shaft tie up, Treadle 4 is tied to Shafts 2, 5, 6, and 7.
Shown below are the original 4-shaft draft and the new 8-shaft draft. You can see from the drawdown that the treadling and the cloth look the same. In the 8-shaft draft, I have tied up Treadles 5-8 to allow me to weave my Doubleweave hems.
But Wait, There is Always More…
With this 8-shaft straight twill threading I can change my tie-up and weave any other structure that can be woven on a straight twill threading.
Straight Twill
Broken Twill
Or Shafts 1-4 and Shafts 5-7 could weave differently.
The possibilities become almost endless. Just be sure to put on a long enough warp!!!
How fun! You made it simpler for a weaving novice like me. Thanks, Michele!