Threading

threading for huck lace with plain weave 'borders'

first section of 24 ends (plain weave) threaded - each group of 4 ends is tied in a slip knot, then the 6 knots are tied in a big slip knot seen at the right hand side - on the left is the first repeat of point twill

next repeat of point twill established with the 6 heddles set out ready to be threaded - each orange section is knotted together as it is completed and then...

....one entire repeat is bound off when completed

Thought I might share how I thread a more 'complicated' threading although this one isn't particularly - it actually breaks down nicely into manageable chunks.

If you look at the draft, I've used an orange marker to show the major divisions of the threading - the first mark (top right) shows the plain weave border.  The next orange marks show the major sections of point twill separated by ends of plain weave.  The green marks show the smaller chunks that get threaded and tied first. At the end of the chart, I will repeat from the beginning which will make huck lace boxes surrounded by plain weave 'borders'.  So the first repeat has been done.

I don't actually mark my drafts like this any more because I can do it visually, but I did this when I first started.  I also used various other methods to keep track, and still go back to those depending on how complex the threading becomes.  Usually I print out the draft in its entirety and as each section is completed I'll mark it off with a pencil or coloured marker as I go.

Some people really love to colour their heddles.  I don't find that works terribly well for me because then I have to 'translate' the numbers of the shafts into which colour the shaft is.  It's a lot easier for me to just follow the numbers in the draft.  For this four shaft loom I don't number the shafts but I do have the shafts on the AVL numbered so that I can make sure I'm pulling the heddles from the correct shaft.  I've probably got a photo of that in my blog somewhere but I think you get the idea.

For extremely complex threadings, some people find that if they 'treadle' the threading, they reduce the mistakes.  Some people treadle one shaft (heddle) at a time, others do it in groups, e.g. an advancing twill with a 5 end advance might be threaded (treadled) with each group of 5 ends (1.2.3.4.5 then 2.3.4.5.6 and so on).