What's this tartan? Monday morning fun

[davidlpope]

If the thread-count says "blue" any shade from sky blue to dark navy could be used.

The complicated bit is that a certain shade of blue ("azure") signifies a "different" color, rather than being lumped in with other "blues".

Consider the thread count for the Carolina tartan:

R64A28K32Y6K8W8K8R2G56R26K8R8W4

where the "Carolina Blue" color is listed as "A", azure.

[Hothir Ethelnor]

The complicated bit is that a certain shade of blue ("azure") signifies a "different" color, rather than being lumped in with other "blues".

Consider the thread count for the Carolina tartan:

R64A28K32Y6K8W8K8R2G56R26K8R8W4

where the "Carolina Blue" color is listed as "A", azure.

Tis true there are exceptions to almost any rule but the general idea is that tartans are simply defined by the arrangement of generic colours in a particular pattern.

It is up to the weaver and/or the customer to determine the actual shades used and why.

[figheadair]

Sure.

I was a bit thrown off at first because the STA threadcount doesn't use azure as a color (i.e. BBBBRK... instead of the expected ABABRK...)

figheadair - please help out a novice here. When I clicked on davidpope's link to the Lochaber Cameron tartan, the colors appear to be different than the fabric you presented in this thread. Should I be looking at tartan pattern primarily, the tartan's colors or both? If the color appears to be faded, could this represent at different tartan?

It's Lochaber Cameron, details here:
http://www.tartansauthority.com/tart...me_search=Find

Although the STA color strip shows that the azure line/lines in the blue field alternate between single broad and double narrow, making the full sett quite wide...

David

I’ve had a look at the link. Unfortunately the threadcount and thus resulting colour strip are in error. The correct setting is per the piece that I wove.

The complicated bit is that a certain shade of blue ("azure") signifies a "different" color, rather than being lumped in with other "blues".

Consider the thread count for the Carolina tartan:

R64A28K32Y6K8W8K8R2G56R26K8R8W4

where the "Carolina Blue" color is listed as "A", azure.

The classification of light blue as a separate colour called azure was the invention of D.C. Stewart and has been used by tartan recorders since. His rationale was that the shade appears in so many old tartans that it deserved to be classified in its own right.

I disagree and prefer the older ‘light blue’ term used by Wilsons, Logan etc and therefore use BBB in my SLOGs for Blue / Light Blue / Blue.

As an aside, want to hazard a guess at the Lord Lyon’s definition of azure?

[davidlpope]

As an aside, want to hazard a guess at the Lord Lyon’s definition of azure?

I'm not sure what Lyon, himself, defines as azure, but heraldry, in general, defines "azure" as any shade of blue as determined by the herald painting the arms. Interesting, though, is the fact that heralds set apart from "azure" a specific shade of sky blue ("bleu celeste") which is a shade very similar to that woven as "azure" in tartan...

[figheadair]

I'm not sure about the current Lyon but I recall asking the question of Sir Thomas Innes of Learney. His definition: Azure is the colour of the sky. Clear as mud then