Gunnel Gustavsson

Warp and Weft starts out with a preface explaining that this is a revised and expanded edition of a 1999 book in Swedish and that it now covers all the basics for learning how to draft more comprehensively. Well, I'm not sure that this book will teach you how to draft, but it certainly can assist your learning process and also show you how different structures are depicted in drafts. There are lots of unfamiliar Swedish names for the various weaves, but for me, this is an additional bonus because these terms are also found in other reference materials. The current volume is filled with color illustrations of woven fabrics, the drafts for those fabrics and something about the structure. It covers profile drafts, thread by thread drafts, satins, twills, and plain weave and its derivatives.

For the most part, the drafts are 4 and 8 shaft, but there are a few more for 10, 12 and 16 shaft looms. The drafts are done in the Swedish style. The whole draft is rotated vertically so that the threading is on the bottom next to the tie up and the treadling sequence travels up from the tie up on the right side.

To give you an idea about the format I've done a synopsis of the section about double weave. All sections contain drafts and color photos of the cloth along with written explanations.
Double width
Tubular weaves
Color and weave
Blocks and different structures other than plain weave
Stitched double weave

Can you use this book to weave something? Definitely. Pick a structure or photo you like, use the draft provided, add your own color sense and yarn ideas and you have a scarf, or towel, etc. You can also use it to experiment with new ideas and as a stepping off point for a more in depth study of a particular structure. It would also make an excellent study group if everyone took a different chapter, studied it, wove samples and presented it in a group setting.… (plus d'informations)