Quote Originally Posted by Mr. MacDougall View Post
Perhaps I don't understand what symmetry means, as applied to tartan, then? I was under the impression that, to be symmetrical, it would have to be ABA, or ABCBA or something like that. Am I mistaken in my understanding?
A symmetrical tartan, that has the same warp and weft, will look the same no matter how you rotate it. Basically it has a pivot point, actually 2 possible pivot points. In the Black Watch the pivot points are half-way through either of the blue squares.

Here's a picture of my Grant Hunting/Black Watch kilt at 0, 90, and 180 degrees. You can see the ABAC pattern in all 3 pictures look at the tartan left to right.



Now let's look at an asymmetrical tartan... the Buchanan tartan (The SP8's FC Buchanan).



You can see in each picture the tartan looks different.