Multishaft Overshot Tie-up Project

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About the project

I am currently working on my masters thesis for the Olds College of Alberta Master Weavers’ Program, for which I am attempting to answer the question, “What choices are available for the placement of pattern, background, and halftones in multishaft overshot designs, and how do you choose between them?”

Halftones in traditional (four blocks on four shafts, or 4B:4S) overshot are not discretionary: the weaver has no choices about where halftones appear or what they look like. In contrast, halftones in some forms of multishaft overshot are discretionary: they can be left out entirely or they can be placed where they’re wanted. They may appear as pinstripes, as offset pinstripes, as plain weave, and in other formations as well.

Even with a fairly narrow definition of “halftone” and strict rules in place for placement thereof, this flexibility means that there are literally millions of viable 4B:8S tie-ups. My goal is to reduce this overwhelming number to something more manageable, to come up with some informed method of deciding which to use when, and to share that method with others who’d like to learn more about it.

Further info

For further information, please refer to the following pages: