Weaves by Region

While it is a bit of an exaggeration to say that one can tell the clan from which a piece of fabric originates by its weave pattern, it is true that there are common weaves in different regions around the Stenza's arctic world. The culture surrounding weaving (including and sometimes attributed to Stuz'a, the god of fabric arts) encourages inspiration, but there are still some long-held customs, and when it comes to fabric, as they say on Earth,

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

History

It is widely known that spinning and weaving have been practiced for tens of thousands of years, and it is suspected that distinctive weaves have been known for just as long, although evidence can be scarce in some areas. These may have been the result of someone's bright idea, a weave which happened to be perfectly soft for the pups' insulating mesh, or a garment which held together remarkably well and could be useful for all sorts of things. Because they worked, the weaves became popular, and some became markers of a particular region.
This continued with weave patterns crossing trade networks between clans until the establishment of the Unified Stenza Clans, where the free movement of people and ideas across a now-peaceful Ice Flats region has allowed weaves to cross into otherwise novel regions. Although it had long been said that one could tell the origin of someone by the weave of their clothing, this had begun to lose meaning in the unified era. Weaves from the Greater Pass could find their way into the southernmost clans protected by the mountains, and fabrics from the Low Pass could reach as far north as Strares. However, due to the agreement that clans could retain their culture in the new age, many clans have retained their weaving traditions well into modern times, rather than creating any standardized weave (let alone mechanizing the entire process).

Execution

Broadly speaking, each region has a preferred weave or set of weaves.

Northern Mountains

The clans sheltered by the northern mountains have long preferred twills of all sorts. Strares Droga was once notable for a type of weave called "pup fangs", which resembles houndstooths found on Earth. While these fabrics are still produced, Strares as a clan and a settlement has changed drastically since the Battle with the Stone Menace. Some neighboring clans produce warp-faced twills similar to denim and chino, and others, like Strares, tended toward even-sided weaves.

Greater Pass

Greater Pass clans, most famously Jal'sa, are known for satins with a high harness count (eight is common). These fabrics were once favored for insulating meshes, before the mesh had been synthesized and improved.

Eastern Mountains

Peoples living in the shadow of the Eastern Mountains have their own peculiar tradition. They prepare an undergarment with a satin weave (any variety, usually also an insulating mesh), and an overgarment with a twill. These are usually only worn in combination for religious events such as First Sunrise, as the combination of fabrics has long been favored for Mountain Climbing.

Low Pass

The Low Pass region is particularly renowned for unique combination weaves. 'Elokh once had the claim to a particularly well-made cloth that could survive the long Migration. Such pieces of clothing have been known to survive decades with some upkeep, although pups are bound and determined to try and tear through them.
'Elokh in particular was also known to introduce deliberate imperfections into their cloth.

Southwestern Mountains

Clans in this region borrow a lot from their Low Pass and Lesser Pass neighbors, often synthesizing the plain weaves of the latter and the hardy weaves of the former into sturdy hunting gear.

Lesser Pass

The clans of the Lesser Pass and the Southwestern Mountains often cooperate, developing and optimizing weaves for treks into the Frozen Wastes to hunt. As such, they tend toward warp-faced twills and occasionally adopt a practice of layering in order to provide insulation and other protections from the elements.

Western Mountains

There are only a handful of clans settled in the foothills of the Western Mountains, but they have developed a proud sense of identity over the years, and this is reflected in their fabrics. Without doubt the Western Mountains clans are the origin of a host of herringbone-type fabrics with varying thread counts.

Wide Pass

Wide Pass clans often borrow heavily from Northern Mountains clans, and the "pup fangs" fabric from Strares has been shown to travel toward the Wide Pass for millennia prior to the Unification of Clans. Additionally, that same evidence shows that the combinations originating in the Low Pass have found their way up to the Wide Pass, if not in trade than in gradual improvement in their replication attempts. Over time, this has evolved into their own form of synthesis, which leads to fabrics preferred for colder weather and freak storms.

Components and tools

Regardless of weave type, anywhere in the Ice Flats, all fabrics must be woven on a loom out of yarn. This is the way.

Primary Related Location

Mudewei