The Common Language of Weavers

You don't need to know how to read Russian tounderstand the weaving draft.

For every artisan and craftsperson there is a language unique to their craft. In weaving, one of the ways we communicate is through weaving drafts. One draft can communicate a multitude of things—from the threading and treadling sequences to sleying requirements and yarn size variations. Drafts can also overcome language barriers. One of my favorite pattern books is a 100-year-old Russian weaving pattern book that you can look through here. I don’t read Russian, but I can read the drafts with the book.

The challenge in learning how to read drafts is the same learning a foreign language. The terms may seem unfamiliar at first, but with practice it begins to make more sense. Plus, there are even “dialects” to weaving drafts. This is especially true for historical drafts.

In the webinar, Deciphering the Drawdown, I address many of the facets of understanding weaving drafts. From symbol variations and format differences to the fundamentals on how to turn a draft and get more pattern capabilities out of fewer shafts. Reading drafts and their many “dialects” is one of the most important skills a weaver should have.

The weaving draft is the schematic . . . a picture of our fabric. And, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words; however, to understand the thousand words, a weaver must first understand the picture.

—Robyn Spady