Drafting Threaded-In
Card Weaving Patterns
Class notes by Lady Aibell ingen Dairmata
http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~lwittie/sca
Threaded-in card weaving is the variant of card weaving where the pattern is coded into the
individual cards and the deck of cards or each of a few sub-decks of cards are turned together as
a set.
Setup
Here are some basic assumptions
• Your cards have four holes punched in a square and are labeled A, B, C, D.
• On the loom, the labeled side of the cards faces to your left.
• Turning the cards forwards turns them away from you.
• Turning the cards backwards turns them towards you.
• Cards threaded from the right to the left are S-threaded (Card forms the letter S when the
far side is tilted to the left).
• Cards threaded from the left to the right are Z-threaded (Card forms the letter Z when the
far side is tilted to the right).
S and Z Threading
When cards turn forwards or backwards, they make a diagonal stitch to the left or the right
depending on their threading.
Forwards Backwards
S-threaded ↗ ↖
Z-threaded ↖ ↗
Drafting Threaded-In Tablet Weaving Patterns Aibell ingen Dairmata
Stitch Color
The color of a stitch depends on the color of the thread that goes over the top when the card is
turned. Read the pattern from the bottom up and turn the cards forwards so A, B, C, D go over
the top in that order.
Color D
going
↑
C
↑
over
the B
top A
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Card Numbers
4 turns forwards,
8 turns forwards
4 turns backwards
Putting S and Z Threading together with Stitch Color
↖ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗
Threading ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖
↖ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗
SSSSZZZZ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖
↖ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗
↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖
↑
Color D ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗
going
over
the
C
B
↗
↗
↗
↗
↗
↗
↗
↗
↖
↖
↖
↖
↖
↖
↖
↖ ↑ ↗
↗
↗
↗
↗
↗
↗
↗
↖
↖
↖
↖
↖
↖
↖
↖
↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖
top A ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖
↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖
↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖
4 turns forwards,
Card Numbers 8 turns forwards
4 turns backwards
How to draft patterns
1. Draw your pattern on graph paper by coloring in the boxes. You can have at most 4
colors per horizontal row.
2. For each column, label the bottom box as A and see if you can assign A B C D in order
backwards and forwards to fill in the rest of the column. When you reverse direction, you
repeat the letter you just used. Example: ABCDDCBA
3. For the threads which have a definite slant, draw a diagonal in the box to match the slant.
4. A set of ABCD rows shows your threading diagram. Use the S and Z threading shown by
the slants. Use the pattern of forwards and back shown in each column.
Drafting Threaded-In Tablet Weaving Patterns Aibell ingen Dairmata
Example: Drafting a primproms1 pattern
DDD D
CCC C Holes
in
BBB B cards
AAA A
DDD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
CCC Card numbers
BBB
AAA 4) The pattern is all
forwards.
1) Draw
Photo and 2) Label each column with A Use all S or Z threading.
picture
weaving by Eqos1 B C and D.
Note: this picture is actually an See if all columns have the
inkle weave. same pattern.
You try it: Label each column with A B C and D and find the pattern
Photo, pattern, and
weaving by Aibell
Drafting Threaded-In Table Weaving Patterns
Example: Drafting a different primproms1pattern
D D D D ↖
C C C C ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖
B B B B ↖ ↖ ↖
A A A A ↖
A A A A ↗
B B B B ↗ ↗ ↗
C C C C ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗
D D D D ↗
D D D D ↖
In this primproms,
the horizontal parts C C C C ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖
are thicker than B B B B ↖ ↖ ↖
the vertical parts. AAAA ↖
Picture by Eqos1
Z Z Z Z
1) Draw picture 2) Label each column with
A B C and D. 3) For the threads which have a
See if all columns have the definite slant, draw a
same pattern. diagonal in the box to
match the slant.
Threading
Z Z Z Z
D
C Holes
in
B cards
A
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Card numbers
4) The pattern is 4 forwards, 4 back.
Use all Z threading.
Drafting Threaded-In Table Weaving Patterns
You try it: For the threads which have a definite slant, draw a diagonal in the box
to match the slant.
Photo, pattern, and
weaving by Aibell
You try it: Drafting a fluez1 pattern
2) Label each column with A B C and D.
See if all columns have the same pattern.
3) For the threads which have a
definite slant, draw a diagonal
in the box to match the slant.
4) What is the pattern?
Threading
D
C
B
A
Pictures and weaving by 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Eqos1 Card Numbers
Drafting Threaded-In Table Weaving Patterns
You try one: Drafting a derima1 pattern
1. Draw picture
2. Label each column with A B C and D. See if all columns have the same pattern.
3. For the threads which have a definite slant, draw a diagonal in the box to match the slant.
4. Combine turning and threading with the bottom 4 rows to see your pattern
Picture
by Eqos1
You try one: Drafting a strantivitus1 pattern
1. Draw picture
2. Label each column with A B C and D. See if all columns have the same patter\ n.
3. For the threads which have a definite slant, draw a diagonal in the box to \ match the
slant.
Picture by 4. Combine turning and threading with the bottom 4 rows to see your pattern.
Eqos1
You try one: Drafting a suago1 pattern
1. Draw picture
2. Label each column with A B C and D. See if all columns have the same pattern.
3. For the threads which have a definite slant, draw a diagonal in the box to match the
slant.
4. Combine turning and threading with the bottom 4 rows to see your pattern.
Picture by
Eqos1
You try one: Drafting a themesh1 pattern
1. Draw picture
2. Label each column with A B C and D. See if all columns have the same patter\ n.
3. For the threads which have a definite slant, draw a diagonal in the box to \ match the
slant.
4. Combine turning and threading with the bottom 4 rows to see your pattern.
Picture by
Eqos1
Drafting Threaded-In Table Weaving Patterns
You try it: Drafting a pattern from a photo
1. Draw picture
2. Label each column with A B C and D. See if all
columns have the same pattern.
3. For the threads which have a definite slant, draw a
Photo and weaving by Emortalcoil2 diagonal in the box to match the slant.
4. Combine turning and threading with the bottom 4 rows
to see your pattern
A more difficult pattern: Waves
The patterns done thus far had all the cards turn together as one deck. The next pattern has two
decks and is thus more difficult. I show how I drafted a pattern for it. This pattern is related to
the Ram’s Horn.
↖ B
D B
↖ ↖ C
↗ ↖ ↖ C D
↗ ↗ ↖ ↖ B A
↖ ↗ A B
↖ ↖ ↖ ↗ D C
↖ ↖ D D
↖ ? ? ←
D D
↖ ↖ D C
↗ ↖ ↖ C B
↗ ↗ ↖ B A
↖ A D
Photo and weaving by Mim3 ↖ ↖ ↖ C
↖ ↖ ↖ B
1) Draw picture.
↖ B
↑
2) Label each column with A B C and D.
3) Find the slant
The turning pattern isn't working. See the marked row (←) where no card works? One solution is to
add an identical row there. The threading isn't working either. See the marked column (↑) where the
threading changes directions but the cards are still turning forwards? There is not an easy solution
to this! The photo has smoother edges and the middle looks like interlocking rounded squares so
I’ll try again using that idea.
Drafting Threaded-In Table Weaving Patterns
→ → →
Will this new wave work? I needed to add two rows between each wave so they fit together.
A A A
DDB BB ↖ ↖
B B B
CCB BB ↗ ↖ ↖ ↖
C C C
BBC CC ↗ ↗ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖
D D D
AADDD ↗ ↗ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖
D D D
DDDDD ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↗ ↗
C C C
CCC CC ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↗ ↗
B B B
BBB BB ↖ ↖ ↖ ↗
A A A
AAAAA ↖ ↖
A A A
DDAAA ↖ ↖
B B B
CCB BB ↗ ↖ ↖ ↖
C C C
BBC CC ↗ ↗ ↖ ↖ ↖
D D D
AADDD ↗ ↗ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖
D D D
DDDDD ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↗ ↗
C C C
CCC CC ↖ ↖ ↖ ↖ ↗ ↗
B B B
BBB BB ↖ ↖ ↖ ↗
A A A
AAAAA ↖
↑ ↑ Z Z Z Z Z S S S
2) Label each column with A B C 3) For the threads which have a
1) Draw picture. and D. Notice the middle two rows definite slant, draw a diagonal
(marked ↑) are different. in the box to match the slant.
Threading
Z Z Z Z Z S S S
D 4) The pattern is 4 forwards, 4 back for the unmarked
cards and all forwards for the marked cards (6 and 7).
C Holes
in Use either all Z or all S for the cards without a definite
B cards threading.
A
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Since the marked cards always go forwards, they will
eventually built up twist. You can release twist using
↑ ↑ fishing swivels or by periodically untying those cards.
Card numbers
Drafting Threaded-In Table Weaving Patterns
References
1. Eqos eqos.deviantart.com
2. Emortalcoil emortalcoil.deviantart.com
3. Mim mimbles.com
4. All other pictures drawn by Aibell
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long as all attributions remain. Seperate permission may be needed for any images not labeled as
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