Is there a right way for an asymetrical tartan?

[artificer]

Threads like this are so interesting... I love this stuff.

Of course, now that I know it, it's something ELSE to notice whenever kilties are all grouped up.

[figheadair]

[QUOTE=Barb T.;902018]So, it's not a question of either twill line or where the mill decides to start the tartan when winding the warp.QUOTE]

I would have to disagree here. It's all to do with maths - sett size, number of repeats or runs and the width of the warp. One can play endlessly with the count to make it fit but that generally requires a serious compromise on the overall proportions of the sett and often has the effect of making the finer stripes more prominent as it's easier to reduce the ground colours. A fiddle in the count, especially asymmetric ones, is sometimes required with double width cloth but for single width cloth there is no excuse for a light colour on the warp.

[Barb T]

I agree with you completely. I wasn't arguing that it didn't matter where the sett started at the selvedge or that the count didn't matter. I was just pointing out that the *original question asked* (which was which kilts were "proper", the kilts with the red then yellow going up from the bottom, or the kilts with the yellow then red going up from the bottom) does not depend on *at all* on what part of the sett lies at the selvedge. What matters is which half of the double width of tartan the kilt was made from. And this is only relevant for asymmetric tartans. For a symmetric tartan, mills make the two halves of a double width mirror images of each other - you simply can't do that with an asymmetric tartan.

[longhuntr74]

Barb and others...this has been a very informative thread on asymmetrical tartans...thanks for sharing and thanks ctbuchanan for starting the thread.

Not to hijack the thread, but it occurred to me that the picture in the first post could be a great teaching picture of "what to wear" and "what not to wear"...but as I'd assume the gentlemen are friends or at least familiar acquaintances of the OP, and some may even be members here...we'll just leave that alone. By the way...ctbuchanan...you are the best dressed guy in that picture IMHO...I wouldn't change a thing except perhaps the white hose...but well dressed you are!!