Red yarns reveal the path of lateral lines moving through the braid.
Braided lace structures can contain directional yarn paths called laterals. These laterals travel diagonally through the fabric and organize how the braid forms its pattern.
In the examples shown here, a red tracer yarn highlights the path of these laterals. The fabric contains anywhere from one to five lateral lines running through the length of the textile. These laterals act as structural guides within the braid.
Laterals Create Zonal Patterning
A single continuous braid transitioning across multiple structural zones.
By progressively adding lateral yarns to the braided structure, different patterns can emerge within the same piece of fabric. A braid with one lateral produces a simple structure. Adding additional laterals introduces new crossings and reorganizes the braid geometry. With five laterals, the structure becomes significantly more complex, creating multiple pattern zones while remaining part of one continuous braid. This allows the textile to transition seamlessly between different densities and structures.
Structural Effects of Laterals
Laterals play an important role in controlling how the fabric behaves. As they pass through the structure they link multiple crossing points together, helping stabilize the braid.
In many cases they produce what can be described as a lock-out effect, where the geometry of the braid limits movement in certain directions while allowing flexibility in others. This allows braided fabrics to be engineered for different responses to pressure, stretch, or load.
Programmable Braiding
Using programmable circular lace braiding machines, these lateral structures can be designed digitally and produced automatically.
Different yarns, filament orientations, and braid geometries can be combined within a single structure to achieve specific performance and aesthetic objectives.
The fabric can be produced as flat textiles or tubular structures, with adjustable width and density depending on the intended application.