Scotweb's new online Tartan Designer is now live!

[Fit2BKilted]

I want the edges to be a bit rough, so; why not let me?

[Paul Henry]

I want the edges to be a bit rough, so; why not let me?

Generally speaking the small number for setting up a warp, is with 2 threads, lots of reasons for this, but the 2 threads help to maintain a solid line rather than a dashed one( I suspect as you would like). It is one of those conventions of weaving and not usually broken. A commercial weaver is less likely to entertain such a break from the custom than a smaller individual one, but nothing ventured nothing gained.

[Nick Fiddes]

Generally speaking the small number for setting up a warp, is with 2 threads, lots of reasons for this, but the 2 threads help to maintain a solid line rather than a dashed one( I suspect as you would like). It is one of those conventions of weaving and not usually broken. A commercial weaver is less likely to entertain such a break from the custom than a smaller individual one, but nothing ventured nothing gained.

Correct. Wearing my hat as a Scottish Tartans Authority governor, I also see an educational value here in enforcing some of these limits, as it indirectly teaches a little about the complexities of weaving. As well as having a commercial side, I'm really hoping this facility will become widely used by schools etc. and it's little details like this which help to make it authentic.

It's also necessary to keep costs down to the (I think incredibly good value) levels we have. We've had to ensure our weavers aren't faced with unusually complex requests that will take them and us lots of extra time.

For this reason too, we're enforcing a six colour limit on standard designs, as some of our traditional looms can't easily cope with more (and anyway, more usually starts to look messy!). You can use more if you use the 'Pro' colour palette. But we've tried to cover ourselves there by warning that you'll probably be paying surcharges if you ask to get it woven.

[Fit2BKilted]

Generally speaking the small number for setting up a warp, is with 2 threads, lots of reasons for this, but the 2 threads help to maintain a solid line rather than a dashed one( I suspect as you would like). It is one of those conventions of weaving and not usually broken. A commercial weaver is less likely to entertain such a break from the custom than a smaller individual one, but nothing ventured nothing gained.

...Although I had explored the single-thread design element (with another online tartan design product) expressly for its 'dashed line' effect, I ended up abandoning it for aesthetic reasons. BUT that was not my principal complaint with ScotWeb's Tartan Designer:

I object to not being able to set odd-numbered thread counts (other than 1), e.g., 13 threads of Bottle Green, which is 'auto-corrected' by the software to 12 What is the justification for that?

[Nick Fiddes]

I object to not being able to set odd-numbered thread counts (other than 1), e.g., 13 threads of Bottle Green, which is 'auto-corrected' by the software to 12 What is the justification for that?

I thought I'd pretty much explained. Our weavers prefer to work in pairs of threads. So this restriction helps keep costs down for everyone, whilst helping less experienced users in particular to create aesthetic and practical designs.

We'd be willing to consider an over-ride in a future release, if we feel there is sufficient call for this. But it would be with the proviso of possible surcharges for weaving. What do other people think?

Meanwhile, there is an alternative work-around in that you can always double up your thread numbers, as it is the sett pattern that defines the tartan, not the number of threads.