I have just finished teaching a new class for the first time which I call "Running Dog and Ram's Horn", which includes making a variation of the continuous warp for patterns determined by the threading.
For over ten years, I have exclusively taught the continuous warping method for patterns determined by the turning (where all tablets are threaded identically), and have consciously avoided threaded-in patterns, partly because I did not like the idea of having to thread tablets one hole at a time.
When I was asked to review Otfried Staudigel's book "Tablet Weaving Magic", I tried the method he describes. It involves analyzing the pattern diagram, warping tablets in groups which share the same colors, and cutting and tying on new colors as needed. After this, you put the tablets into their proper order in the pack (if this is necessary), flip to put threading in the correct direction, and then rotate tablets to put colors in the right place. This is really pretty easy to do using the threading diagram as a guide.
I have discovered that I can integrate this method very well with my own way of thinking about things, and want to recommend it. I am really excited about the fact that this opens up a whole new range of patterns for my own weaving and teaching.
I have always used the terms left-threaded and right-threaded, which I learned from Candace Crockett's book "Card Weaving". I like it because it is so visual -- if all 4 threads are visible on the left, it's a left-threaded tablet. If they're all visible on the right, it's a right-threaded tablet.
Otfried refers to *tablet direction* -- the angle of the *tablet* as it hangs on the parallel warps. So:
Left-threaded tablet = Z-direction tablet Right-threaded tablet = S-direction tablet
This is especially obvious when you work with flipping a tablet (about its vertical axis) to change threading direction. If you start with a left threaded tablet, and flip it to change threading direction, it will only turn one way, which is to emphasize the Z-direction of the tablet (left-threaded) at the beginning of the flip, ending up with S-direction of the tablet (right-threaded) when you are finished flipping. Do try this at home!
Additionally, A Z-direction tablet produces Z-twist in the weaving when the tablet is turned forward, and an S-direction tablet produces S-twist when the tablet is turned forward.
Happy flipping! Linda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Linda Hendrickson, Portland, Oregon USA Tablet Weaving & Ply-Splitting Workshops, Books, & Supplies E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web site: www.lindahendrickson.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
