before they begin, and weave continuously in one direction; but the
majority weave a little portion of the upper end before they finish
the middle. Sometimes this is done by weaving from above downwards; at
other times it is done by turning the loom upside down and working
from below upwards in the ordinary manner. In Fig. 49, which
represents one of the very finest results of Navajo work, by the best
weaver in the tribe, it will be seen that exact uniformity in the ends
has not been attained. The figure was of such a nature that the
blanket had to be woven in one direction only.

I have described how the ends of the blanket are bordered with a stout
three-ply string applied to the folds of the warp. The lateral edges
of the blanket are similarly protected by stout cords applied to the
weft. The way in which these are woven in, next demands our attention.
Two stout worsted cords, tied together, are firmly attached at each
end of the cloth-beam just outside of the warp; they are then carried
upwards and loosely tied to the yarn-beam or the supplementary
yarn-beam. Every time the weft is turned at the edge these two strings
are twisted together and the weft is passed through the twist; thus
one thread or strand of this border is always on the outside. As it is
constantly twisted in one direction, it is evident that, after a
while, a counter-twist must form which would render the passage of the
weft between the cords difficult, if the cords could not be untwisted
again. Here the object of tying these cords loosely to one of the
upper beams, as before described, is displayed. From time to time the
cords are untied and the unwoven portion straightened as the work
progresses. Fig. 44 and Plate XXXVIII show these cords. The coarse
blankets do not have them. (Fig 42.)

Navajo blankets are single-ply, with designs the same on both sides,