turn in
To reverse the ends of threads and insert them back into the piece being woven so they do not protrude and eventually unravel.
turn in: tucking thread ends back into fabric to prevent fraying
In weaving, a turn in is the operation of folding back the loose ends of warp or weft threads and working them back into the fabric structure so they are secured and hidden. This prevents the threads from protruding at the edges, where they would eventually work loose, fray, and cause unraveling of the piece. The turned-in threads become an integral part of the finished textile rather than a loose tail waiting to fail.
Turn in occurs most commonly at the selvedge, the finished edge of woven cloth, and at points where weft threads end and new ones begin. On a floor loom or industrial loom, when a weft bobbin runs empty, the weaver or operator must tie on a fresh thread; the short end of the old weft is turned in by passing it back through the shed (the gap between raised and lowered warp threads) for several picks, typically three to six, depending on thread weight and fabric density. The turned-in section is then woven over by subsequent picks, locking it in place.
The technique is not merely decorative. A turned-in end that is properly secured will hold for the life of the garment or textile good. A thread left protruding will catch on machinery, fingers, or other garments during finishing, wear, or washing. In production, loose ends also create quality defects that inspectors must catch and correct, adding cost and delaying shipment.
Turn in differs from a selvage knot, in which two weft thread ends are literally knotted together. Knotting creates a visible and tactile lump in the cloth that can cause problems in dyeing and finishing; turned-in ends distribute the join across several weft picks and produce a much smoother result. On modern shuttle looms and projectile looms, automatic thread tie-on devices now perform this operation, but hand weavers and small-scale producers still turn in threads manually.
The quality of a turn in depends on tension and thread path. If the turned-in thread is too loose, it will slip out during finishing or wear. If too tight, it can distort the weave pattern or break. The phrase itself refers to the physical action of reversing direction and inserting the thread back into the weft shed, rather than cutting it off and allowing it to hang.