Wednesday, June 18, 2008

HANDSPUN & COMPUTING SETT: PART III

SHAWL FROM HANDSPUN

Two years ago I wove a too-short shawl from my woolen handspun. It turned out to be too short because in planning the warp, I had not allowed for the drastic amount the warp snapped back into a much shorter length when I removed it from the warping board.

Small wool shawl 3006

That handspun was approximately the same grist as the one I am currently working with.   I sett the warp at 12 epi for a twill.  I had agonized over the sett.

ON THE LOOM: BAD SHEDS

I had a lot of trouble weaving off that warp. The sheds were terrible;  the soft yarn desperately wanted to stick to itself. I was forever clearing sheds by hand.

OFF THE LOOM

When the fabric came off the loom I did an indeterminable amount of mending/reweaving.  I washed and steamed it. It was thick and cuddly. It felt soft and silky to the touch. It was lovely. I thought.  And apparently the judge at the Blue Ridge Handweaving show that year thought so too. I got a second place in accessories.

Still, those terrible sheds were a definite clue that the sett was really too close.

LEIGH'S FORMULA FOR SETT

I think it is time to try the formula Leigh explains in her recent post on calculating sett.  

Related Post: Handspun and Computing Sett: Part II

© 2008

No comments: