One of the lines in every tablet weaving draft is thread direction, usually referred to as S or Z. Today I learned why this matters.
It’s a simple concept. If the threads enter the tablet from the left and exit on the right (from the weaver’s position) they are S threaded.
Conversely, in on upper right and out on lower left is a Z threaded tablet.
All S threaded at the bottom. Right side has been flipped to Z at the top.
The threading direction determines how your warp threads twist around the weft. If the twist lines up with the pattern, you get nice smooth lines. If the twist is wrong, your project looks pixelated.
In the image above I flipped the five cards on the right side from S to Z and my work changed dramatically.
With a bachelors degree in history, I turn wrenches for a living. I’m most at peace when I hear the wind in the trees or the gurgle of a brook. I’m a believer in the Renaissance Man, as epitomized by DaVinci engineer, artist, soldier, statesman. As Heinlein said, “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyse a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”
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