Solution for an ugly tuck-in selvedge

[ChattanCat]

The tartan in the photo isn't Lochcarron tartan, actually, and I've never seen this kind of horrible fringe on Lochcarron tartan (although maybe some of the rest of you have).

Just as another note, Lochcarron used to weave their fabric with the right side \\\\\\. When they switched to the tuck-in selvedge, they switched twill directions on their Strome for the right side of the fabric. I actually still try to use Lochcarron fabric with the \\\\\ as the right side. Sometimes this requires working their thread joins to the other side of the fabric. And the Lochcarron selvedge is pretty good on both sides, at least in the Strome pieces that I've used in the last few years.

I have been perplexed with the selvage tuck in that I have seen on the Strome. On some of the selvage in needs to be this side but down the selvage the tuck in seems to reverse. All I can figure is that the material has fuzz that comes out the other side. I will try the //// option next time.

[Bugbear]

Wow!

I've had to put all my plans for a traditional kilt on the back burner, but I guess this is all good to know. I should get one of those fabric shavers for some of my sweaters and so on.

[jhockin]

Yah - it is your tartan. It will look much better made into a kilt with the fringe shaved off!!!

Since you are presently working with this specific material, could you please tell me the width of the sett ( so I can check my understanding & measurement; And: is an symetric taratan [as I think} or an asymetrical tartan)?
thanks
jhockin

[Barb T]

Since you are presently working with this specific material, could you please tell me the width of the sett ( so I can check my understanding & measurement; And: is an symetric taratan [as I think} or an asymetrical tartan)?
thanks
jhockin

It's the Ancient MacNaughton, and the sett is roughly 10". Although at first glance, it looks like the sett ought to be from one narrow blue/black/blue stripe to the next, adjacent blocks with these stripes are actually different. The "A" center stripe below is bordered on both sides by red then blue, and the "B" center stripe is bordered on both sides by red then green. So the full sett is measured between the two "A" center stripes. And it is a symmetric tartan - you can fold the tartan on either the A stripe or the B stripe, and it's identical in either direction.



And, just as an aside since I've posted stuff before on ABAC tartans such as the Black Watch, the MacNaughton is *not* an ABAC tartan.

[RockyR]

And, just as an aside since I've posted stuff before on ABAC tartans such as the Black Watch, the MacNaughton is *not* and ABAC tartan, because the black stripes are not pivots.

I always considered this one an ABAC tartan and am pretty sure that the black stripes are pivots. I chacked the STA's thread count and show it as "K4B4SL52B26K26HG50SL52B4K4" (for those who don't know, 'K' is black). It shows a K on both ends which I believe would make that the pivot.

What is the reason that it's not an ABAC tartan? I'm not trying to be rude, I am honestly curious b/c I know you're very knowledgable in these things...

[Barb T]

I always considered this one an ABAC tartan and am pretty sure that the black stripes are pivots. I chacked the STA's thread count and show it as "K4B4SL52B26K26HG50SL52B4K4" (for those who don't know, 'K' is black). It shows a K on both ends which I believe would make that the pivot.

What is the reason that it's not an ABAC tartan? I'm not trying to be rude, I am honestly curious b/c I know you're very knowledgable in these things...

In order to be a pivot, the colors need to be identical in sequence and width on each side of the pivot. So, let's take one of the wide black stripes for example.

In the MacNaughton, you see the following:

red blue black green red

For the wide black to be a pivot, it would have to be

red blue black blue red

OR

red green black green red

And the two "greens" or the two "blues" would have to be the same width.

Another way of thinking about it is to imagine the wide black stripe as the center stripe of the apron. The two halves of the apron wouldn't look like mirror images. So, the wide black is not a pivot.

Here's a more obvious example. In the Bell tartan below, neither the narrow black stripe nor the wide black stripe is a pivot (and either is analogous to the black in the MacNaughton). The triple yellow is a pivot, as is the red bordered by green. But they are the only pivots.

[chasem]

Rocky, I think the black stripes that Barb was saying are not pivots are those that have blue on one side and green on the other. (ie: the black stripes between the letter A and B in the image she posted).

The black stripes you're referring to are those that Barb was referring to as blue lines (Those that lie *on* the letters A and B in the image.) I assume Barb was referring to them as blue as the blue is more dominant.

So yeah, those black stripes (inside the blue) you're referring to are pivots.

[Barb T]

The black stripes you're referring to are those that Barb was referring to as blue lines (Those that lie *on* the letters A and B in the image.) I assume Barb was referring to them as blue as the blue is more dominant.

True - those are the ones I was referring to, but it still isn't an ABAC tartan. It's still just an AB tartan.

[chasem]

Right, I was attempting to help explain that. I should've just refreshed the page first ;)

[Barb T]

Thanks, Chase. I'm sorry I wasn't clear in the original post. I've gone back and edited it to make it clearer that I was talking about the narrow blue/black/blue stripe. In any event, it's a simple AB tartan despite my inability to explain it clearly the first time!!!