Treadling for Dummies: Walking the Treadles

When we first learn to weave we usually are taught to tie up our treadles from left to right just as they are written in a typical draft.

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​​In a simple example, to weave straight twill you would need to set up 4 treadles as indicated below:

• Treadle 1 lifts harnesses 1 & 2
• Treadle 2 lifts harnesses 2 & 3
• Treadle 3 lifts harnesses 3 & 4
• Treadle 4 lifts harnesses 4 & 1

Traditionally, you would set up the treadles from left to right as they are written in the tieup:
 
           Treadle           1        2     Center      3       4
            Lifting           12      23                34     41
            Foot                --Left--                   --Right--              
 
To weave this pattern, you would use your left foot to weave treadle 1 followed by treadle 2, then switch to your right foot to weave treadles 3 followed by treadle 4.

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Walking the treadles is a much more comfortable, ergonomic alternative to this.  The treadles still lift the same harnesses in the same order in order to get the same pattern.  The difference is that the treadles under the loom are not tied up from left to right.  They are tied up so that you can “walk” the treadles left-right-left-right from the center out.  Your odd numbered treadles will be on the left, even on the right.  ​

For the straight twill shown above the treadles would be tied up as indicated in the draft above, but they would be in a different order under the loom as follows:
 
           Treadle           3        1     Center     2       4
            Lifting           34      12               23     41
            Foot                --Left--                   --Right--               
 
This allows you to comfortably rock from left to right as you throw the shuttle from left to right. ​​

Note the rubber bands on the center treadles.

My personal preference is to throw the shuttle towards the foot that is treadling, so I treadle 1(left foot is down) and throw to the left, treadle 2 (right foot is down) and throw to the right, treadle 3 and throw to the left, treadle 4 and throw to the right.  Then I move both feet back to the center (where I have rubber bands to help me find the center without peeking).

Tip!

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Advantages to walking the treadles:

• You develop a nice rocking motion that is very comfortable,
• It allows you to improve your rhythm and speed up your weaving
• The fact that your shuttle is always heading towards the depressed foot helps “cue you in” if you accidentally get off pattern.  If suddenly your shuttle is going left and your right foot is down, it means you have made a treadling error.

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Tips for not losing your place and other notes:

• After pressing a treadle, I keep my foot there (lightly) until ready to use that foot again.  In other words I never move my foot completely off a treadle so I always know what I did last.
• If I am doing a sequence that starts over at treadles 1&2 (center treadles), I move my feet back to center together.
• I use heavy rubber bands to mark my center treadles and other significant treadles to help my feet find the correct treadles without peeking. 

Tips!

• For example, if I am doing a straight twill with 4 treadles, I would put rubber bands on just the center treadles (1&2). 
• If I have a twill pattern that I am walking with 6 treadles like the point twill pattern below, I would put rubber bands on the center treadles and the outer treadles (5&6).  This helps me easily find the center treadles when I am returning to center but also helps me distinguish between 3 vs 5 and 4 vs 6 so that I don’t accidently press a treadle in error (because 3&4 are “naked” and 5&6 have bands).

• Note: I do NOT recommend leaving “space” (untied) treadles between your treadles.  I think it disturbs the rhythm of weaving and the farther from center your treadle is, the more tiring the weaving will be.  SO keep them as close to the center of your body as possible.

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A harder example:
 
​Suppose you have a simple point twill treadling.  Normally the tieup would be presented as shown with 4 treadles.  One full repeat consists of the six shots or picks shown above the red line in the draft to the right:

• Treadle 1 lifts harnesses 1 & 2
• Treadle 2 lifts harnesses 2 & 3
• Treadle 3 lifts harnesses 3 & 4
• Treadle 4 lifts harnesses 1 & 4
• Treadle 3 lifts harnesses 3 & 4
• Treadle 2 lifts harnesses 2 & 3

You could set those 4 treadles up in the traditional left to right configuration or walking style.  The problem with this is that anytime you are treadling 2 or 3, you need to remember whether you were going toward treadle 4 or returning from treadle 4.  The possibility of confusion is high.
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Everything above the red line is one repeat

6 treadle walking option​:
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But we can take it one step farther (assuming you have 6 treadles) and assign each of the 6 picks in the repeat their own treadle. Set those 6 treadles up walking style and you will find this treadling pattern easier to weave with no confusion.

• Treadle 1 lifts harnesses 1 & 2
• Treadle 2 lifts harnesses 2 & 3
• Treadle 3 lifts harnesses 3 & 4
• Treadle 4 lifts harnesses 4 & 1
• Treadle 5 lifts harnesses 3 & 4
• Treadle 6 lifts harnesses 2 & 3 

Everything above the red line is one repeat and weaves the same cloth as the repeat in the draft above.

​​Set the treadles up for walking as follows:
     
    Treadle      5          3        1      Center     2       4        6
    Lifting        34       34      12                23     41     23
    Foot             -----Left-----                         -----Right-----      

Rubber bands on the center treadles help your feet find the center at the end of the sequence. Bands on 5 & 6 also help your feet with the "no peek" treadling.   
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