Saturday, February 6, 2016

Using your cards to keep track of direction

One of the simpliest ways to keep track of your card direction is to split your packs.  If the card rolls away from you it will be in the pack furthest from your body, and towards you in the pack closest.  However, sometimes you need to move multiple cards in different directions, and moving cards between packs becomes a hassle.  Instead, I don't fully split them.  This allows me to know where I am in a pattern, even when interuptions force me to leave in the middle of it.  If the cards are partialy split across the pack, that means the row was just finished.  If I have shifted all but the beginning pattern card/cards into a single pack, it means that I am about to start that row. 


This is the one-pack method for 3/1 Twill using four of the same color threads in each pattern card, and two border cards on each side which move independent of the pattern cards.


Rotations for the 12 pattern cards (all threaded S or Z):

2 F, 2B repeated for the entire line
1 F, 2B, then repeat 2 F, 2B for the rest of the line
2 B, 2 F repeated for the entire line
1 B, 2F, then repeat 2B, 2F for the rest of the line
  
Ready to start, with border cards shifted away from the body (will be rolling in that direction, until it gets tight, then flipped on the vertical axis, so they can continue rolling the same direction but remove twist buildup).

End of the first row (2 F, 2B repeated for the entire line).  The direction turned will naturally offset the cards, until you move them back into a single pack.

Shifted into one pack, except for the first card which indicates which line you are on.  1st card will roll away from you, so it must be row 2 (1 F, 2B, then repeat 2 F, 2B for the rest of the line).
End of second row.
Ready for the third row (2 B, 2 F repeated for the entire line).
End of third row.
Ready for forth row (1 B, 2F, then repeat 2B, 2F for the rest of the line).

Forgot to take a picture of the end placement on row four, but hopefully it is not needed.

End result:

2 comments:

  1. How clever!

    I don't currently do much tablet weaving but if I ever learn 3/1 twill (one day...) I'll keep this in mind.

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  2. Fascinating approach, and it makes the 1 deck approach make more sense.

    Although I admit I wonder; I tend to weave 3/1 twill with 30+ cards; wouldn't that slow me down a lot?

    On the other hand, I suppose it would let me develop the pattern as I wove, rather than precharting.

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