I first analysed the method of network drafting at school. When I joined the Pointcarré company, I have discovered a way to build up a threading far more interesting and that lets you create very interesting motifs.
I am going to try to explain the principle of this method through an example, knowing that other people have already written a lot about this method in a much detailed manner (see bibliography).
History
In 1938, Brandon and Guiguet suggested a building technique of threading curves, applicable to all familiar pattern structures, using the weft as the setting unity. It is the origin of the initial method.
This patterning is pretty long to operate because of the manual punching of complex pegplans and also because of the difficulty to slip on very irregular threadings. This may be why it was gradually given up after the Second World War until Olivier Masson and François Roussel updated it. The use of threading machines, electronic punching machines and computers allow also more people to use the initials. This technique has also been taken up in America by Louise Bérubé (Québec/Canada) and Alice Schlein (USA).
Note that only the case of straight initial will be studied here.
Bibliographie
The network drafting method allows to realize in a weave, circles and curves lines without the scale effect of the block method. Initials allow the gradual shifting of the first threading and the weaves of the pegplan, one column (a shaft) or a line (a pick) at a time. This allows smooth outlines and transition zones more or less large or faded between the chosen weaves.
1/ Analysing the pattern:
The first step of the preparation of a structure, whatever the method, is to create a pattern. In the case of the construction by initials, the outlines and the surfaces filled up by the pattern are both important. It is recommended to finish the weave profile, to analyse it, then to check the profiles of the threading, the treadling and the tie up, or the peg plan, before starting the pattern (I will use in this article a peg plan-(straight tie up)-threading representation).
In my example "Tissu Rond", the weave is threaded on 20 shafts and 264 yarns.
N.B. :
After analysing the pattern, if the number of shafts is too high, it is possible to reduce the height of the threading curves. Two techniques are applicable : the digitalization and the telescoping.
2/ The profil of the threading:
One rule applies to the pattern of the threading profile curve : there must be only one dot per column. The line can go up or down, slowly or suddenly, with returns and line skips.
The curves on the network is built by over stacking the theoric threading on the network : In this manner we build a threading curve that strictly follows the initial network.
3/ The network drafting:
Let's take the example of a threading repeat to which we attach 2 or more weaves that are opposed in some way (for example warp effect / weft effect, ...).
The structure which makes the threading is called the drafting. In this example, I use as the initial a straight of 4.
Network drafting is a geometrical construction that is simply repeated in height and width of the initial :
network drafting
N.B. :
In theory, any threading repeat can make an initial but in reality, the initial making up must respect the following conditions:
4/ Preparation of threading profile:
Let’s take A as the initial repeat in height (4 here) and B the threading repeat (20 here) ; the properties of the threading profile will follow these conditions:
To get the threading profile, I amplify each dot of the threading by 4 in height:
profile 1
5/ Building a network drafting:
The real threading is built by the intersection between the profile and the initial network : the network dots are the only usable dots : only one dot per column is authorized (to respect the threading laws).
Below, the intersection between the profile and the initial network :
The red dots are the initial threading
N.B. :
The number of shafts used is not necessary a multiple of the initial repeat. For example, one can weave structures built on 4 shafts with a threading realized on 23 shafts. On the other hand, for a right repeat in length, the width of the threading must be a multiple of the initial repeat.
6/ Preparation of pegplan profile:
The profile of the pegplan can be drawn freely : simple and stretched shapes (so as to repect the threading stretching) are the most appropriate. In order that the weaves are well representated in the cloth and also distinct between them, the line thickness must respect (in black or white) the weave width.
According to the threading drawn on the network, the lines and the pegplan pattern produce three distinctive zones in the cloth profile:
7/ Intégration of structures in the pegplan:
In this case, let’s use the following structures:
N.B. :
As for the threading, to avoid repeat problems, the height of the pegplan must be a multiple of the weaves that are used.
Here’s the final weave you should get:
Initial threading
Since the initial is straight, the replacement of each pegplan zones by contrasted weaves (warp effect/weft effect) will use the same weaves in the cloth.
The intermediary zone does not have any binding defect since the floats are always inferior to 3.
N.B.:
According to the weave choice, the intermediary zones can generate floats that are not wanted that will be modified directly on the pegplan. However, the use of simple weave opposition guarantees good intermediary zones. In paragraph #8, I’ll use other weaves as examples.
8/ Examples:
a) example 1: straight drafting of 4
In this example, I’ll use the same threading than the one previously used, but I’ll use another pegplan. The structures are : satin 8 as the warp effect and satin 8 as the weft effect.
b) example 2: straight drafting
We can also use more than 2 structure networks in a cloth. In the following example, three structures are used : the twill 3/1, the twill 1/3 and a plain weave.
In this article, I have only shown a few example of initial network built up from a straight initial of 4. One can also use other repeats or repeats with returns (or else).
The purpose of this article is only to give a quick tour of this method and show the use you can make out of it in your creations.
Click here if you wish to use the network drafting method with Pointcarré.
