# Reading weaving drafts?



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

With all the recent talk of looms I thought this might be a good time to ask our more experienced weavers for a little help in understanding weaving drafts.

I have all the weaving books and subscribe to Handwoven, I have read many directions on how to read a draft but I just don't get it. I understand how to read the draft for the Inkle loom, I figured that one out. But reading the draft for multiple harnesses has me totally stumped. I have no problem reading and understanding patterns written in longhand.

Can someone help me and others to understand how to read a draft :help: 

I really feel like until I can get this figured out I will never be able to weave on anything other than my Inkle loom :Bawling:


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

hehe. it is a bit confusing,isn't it?

basic draft is: across the top will be the way you set up or thread the warp. say youhave 4 harnesses. the bottom line of the draft will be for harness 1, next up is harness 2, next is harness 3 and next is harness 4. 

The draft then puts a square or dot for each thread you're going to put thru the heddles. 

here's a draft for simple 4 harness zigzag sort of thing.








It's numbering the heddles from right to left. thread your first warp thread thru heddle 1 in harness 1. 2nd thread thru heddle on harness 2. 3rd thread thru heddle on harness 3, and so on. following the pattern....in this case a simple zigzag.

some drafts will do a pattern on the outside (border) and another pattern inside the border..usually they just give you the first "repeat" of the pattern and then say "continue this pattern to width"...however many times you need to do the pattern to get your width of material.

The second part of the draft is the "tie up". that's the 4x4 square in the upper right corner on our sample.
This is how you tie up your harnesses to your foot treadles (or handles on table looms). In this case, we would tie up harness 4 to treadle 1(or far left treadle), harness 3 to treadle 2, harness 2 to treadle 3, and harness 1 to treadle 4. (generally you also tie up a 1+3 and a 2+4 set so you can do a straight weave...simple over and under....for the beginning and end of the material)

with me so far? continued on next post....


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

okay. part 3...the bit down the side:
that's the way you push the treadles or handles. In our example, you start with treadle 1 (far left peddle) which raises (or lowers, depending on your type of loom) harness 4. Throw a weft thread thru. release treadle 4 and now press treadle 2 (2nd treadle from the left) which raises harness 3 and throw a weft back the other direction. Release treadle 2 and press treadle 3. Throw weft back the first direction. Release treadle 3 and press treadle 4(raising harness 1) and throw the weft back again.

THERE! you've now woven one set of pattern. assuming you've been beating too, the bit you've woven will look like a /\/\/\/\

well, that's about it. the middle part of the draft is what the finished material should look like...so you can see if you're doing it properly. that's MUCH more important on the huckabuck or monk's cloth...or more patterny types of weaves. edited: forgot to add that it's HERE that you see the colors of the threads if you're doing multiple colors in the warp. 

I've tried to say it simply....but it's been a while since I didn't know what a draft was, so I've likely glossed over something important that needs more explaining. If so, please ask and I'll try to explain better.

I'll also go looking (in a bit) for websites that might help


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

OMG Ann I understood that :shrug: how simple. Now why can't the books explain it like that?

So the draft of the warp set up is actually like a picture of what the heddles will look like, once all threaded, if I were to stand over them and look down?

I'm going to print this off so I can reread it time and again so it sticks in my brain.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

I'm ready for the second part now :hobbyhors


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

wooohooo!! someone understood what I wrote. :dance: 

Glad I could help a bit. I've changed the words in a couple of places...I refered to "peddles" but the actual word is treadle, so thought I'd best make it kosher.

best thing I can suggest is to give it a try. make something small the first time. just a 3yard warp that's oh...12 inches wide. a scarf! and just try out a draft. there are drafts (like a twill or the above zigzag) that can be changed AS Y OU WEAVE just by pushing different patterns of treadles...maybe 1,4,2,3,1,4,2,3 for the above draft, and you'll have something completely different than the /\/\/\

Good luck with it


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

You are BRILLIANT Thank you so much. 

It seems so simple but why do the books make it so difficult? That has to be one of my biggest pet peeves of all crafts. When it seems like people guard the info and won't share it with others. I get that when I call to order supplies and I really don't know what I'm talking about and I'm really trying and the person on the other end knows this and they offer zip for help or explanation :shrug: 

Im going to participate in a weave along and I called the Yarn Barn in Kansas to ask about their kits and to get some ideas. I had got one of their catalogs in the mail the day before. I found one kit but it called for a different size reed or heddle then what I had. The woman said I could still make the thing but it would be different. I understand that. But when I asked for some help in understanding the way yarn is measured for weaving vs how it is measured for knitting she was of no help until I asked a very specific question. It was like pulling teeth to get this oerson to offer an opinion and help. I'm sad about that too. Not only because I had heard such great things about the Yarn Barn but also because I have some across this from other weavers when I ask for help and yes, some of them have been shop owners. They just sort of give you this blank stare.

So Wisconsin Ann I :bow: to you and thank you a hundred times over. In my few years of trying to understand drafts you have accomplished something in a few minutes that others including books have not been able to teach me.

Do you offer classes?

Hugs to you. You have no idea how happy I am now.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

If you want to get a HUGE dose of "stuff that's been woven" take a look at the gallery on handweaving.net: http://www.handweaving.net/GalleryList.aspx

photos of finished product, (in groups so it's easy to find something) WITH the draft


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

well hon, you've made my week! 
I love to help folks out. Every time I show someone how to start off with weaving or enameling or knitting or spinning or whatever, it's like I get all excited all over again! "ooOOOOO...youcould do THIS! What about this AWESOME color?" 

I know what you mean about books (and some folks) making things in crafting so hard to understand. I've found over the years that there are very few people (artsy type people) who can put into simple words what it is they do...particularly after they've been DOING it for years. They add in all the things you don't really need to know, but will eventually find out. OVERLOAD!! Kinda like...would you (or me either) be able to teach someone who had never typed, or seen a keyboard, how to type? I think I'd be like "um, well, you put your fingers here...and then, er, push the key you want...."

shop owners...now that's something different. I'd a thought that a shop owner would be a FOUNTAIN of knowledge. reallywilling to help...you know...so she can sell you more stuff  Get you hooked on the craft!

ah well. it's all good. 

have fun!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Ann!!!! You are my hero!!! I just reread drafting in Chandler's Learning to Weave and thought I was beginning to understand it and you're explanation really sunk it home! THANK YOU!!!

And that link .... I'm in weaving overload!!! 

Sweet!!!


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