Identical Vertical Columns! Identical Vertical Columns!

To identify blocks, look for identical vertical columns! I wish I’d learned another phrase, perhaps look for vertical columns that are exactly alike. But that’s not much better. Knowing how many blocks there are in a pattern is important to know.

So, looking at the two illustrations, how many blocks are there? There are two. Looking at the draft on the left and beginning at the right edge (as we do in threading drafts traditionally), assign the first area (or block) as “Block A”. Move your eye across to the left and when something else happens, that’s a second block—“Block B”. As you continue working across the warp toward the left, you come to a column that is identical to the right-hand column which was assigned as block A. Hence this design has two blocks.

Now look at the draft on the right and go through the same process, starting on the right and working left looking for columns that are exactly alike. Again two blocks.

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Now look at the draft above on the left  and count the blocks. Notice that there isn’t anything going on; i.e. there is no pattern on the right. That counts as a block because there is cloth to be woven there. So, again there are two blocks in the draft. The draft on the right is for two blocks as well—the same two blocks as a matter of fact. Are you catching on now? You can name the sequence of the blocks, working from right-to-let: A Block, B Block, A Block; or A, B, A.

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Now count the blocks in this illustration. Remember, the key is looking for identical vertical columns. Vertical, because we are looking for how the threading will be. At the right edge is Block A, the usual–you can give it any letter, but usually, we start counting on the right and name the first section Block A. Move along until you get to a vertical column that is different; it is Block B. Moving along, there is some more Block A. The next column is one that is completely different from any so far; so that will be Block C. (so far, there are three blocks.) Moving along, there is some more of Block A then, there is a change again. Look at it carefully. Is it a block already identified, or something completely different? Is there any other place in the design where the vertical column is exactly the same? There is no other exactly identical column, so this must be called block D. The left-hand edge is Block A again. How did you do? Were you tricked because Blocks B and D are the same shape and size? See that they are different by looking from the top to the bottom of the design in both areas—the vertical columns are different. Where Block B is shown, there is nothing special going on in the area where Block D is threaded.

The order of the threading of the blocks is: (reading right-to-left): A, B, A, C, A, D, A. Notice that there is only one C Block mentioned even though it occupies two vertical columns. The reason is that that block is twice the width of the other blocks.

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How many blocks are in this illustration? They can be read as A, B, C. D, A.

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If you are weaving a specific design, you need to weave it from the bottom up, because that’s the way weaving “happens”. To weave the above figure (repeated from above), you would begin at the bottom of the treadling draft and weave as follows:

1. Weave the bottom border with the treadles that weave all the blocks alike in your chosen background weave structure.
2. Weave with the set of treadles used for Block C in pattern, and with all the other blocks weaving in background.
3. All the blocks are in background again; use the first set of treadles.
4. Blocks A, C, D are weaving background with Block B weaving in pattern—another set of treadles is needed.
5. Weave with the first set of treadles for all background again.
6. Another set of treadles is needed to weave where only Block D is weaving pattern. You will need four sets of treadles: 1 set where all the blocks weave alike for the background, 1 set with just Block B in pattern, 1 set with just C in pattern, and 1 more set with Block D in pattern.

Treadling blocks
Multi-shaft looms often need a lot of treadles. One way to keep track of your treadles is to organize them so that when you are weaving, you alternate your feet, called “walking the treadles.” I think beginning from the outside treadles and working in is a good idea, because your feet can always “feel” the outer most treadle without your having to look down at the treadles. So, the treadles for weaving all the blocks alike might be the left one, the far right one, the next-to-the-left, and the next-to-the-right one.  I try to put the treadles I will use more often nearer the center of the loom, so my feet don’t have to reach so far for them. If possible, I like to leave a treadle down between my sets of treadles, so my feet can feel their way easier. Always try to set up the treadles so you don’t have to look at them and can feel them with your feet. Walking your treadles makes keeping track of them easier.

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Use a template to find blocks

Make a template with a card or the edge of a piece of paper. To find the blocks in the illustrations above start with the column on the right as usual . And working up and down along that column, mark the position of the filled-in-squares on one edge of the template. Slide the card along and as the vertical columns remain the same you will have one block.  Use another template and mark the edge when a new block appears. Shielding the design with the template as you go can make it a lot easier to count the blocks.

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How many blocks can I have?
Different weaves require different numbers of shafts for each block as well as different rules to weave them. The chart can tell you the number of blocks you can have for the number of shafts you have. When you read about these weaves, you will learn how the blocks are threaded and woven for each weave.

There is much one can weave with only 4 shafts!
According to the chart any weave using these structures can have 4 blocks with only 4 shafts: Crackle, Overshot, and Shadow Weave. There’s no need for “shaft envy”!

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