When planning a new weaving project, one question comes up very quickly: what sett should I use for this yarn?
It is tempting to think there should be one simple answer: this yarn is woven at 12 ends per inch, another at 18 or 24. Recommended setts are extremely useful, but they only tell part of the story.
The same yarn can produce very different fabrics simply by changing the sett.
A fabric can be more open or more compact, softer or firmer. The weave structure, fibre, intended use and finishing process all influence the final result.
The most useful question is therefore not only:
“What sett is right for this yarn?”
but rather:
“What kind of fabric do I want to create with this yarn?”
What is sett in weaving?
Sett refers to how closely the warp ends are spaced across a given width.
In North American weaving patterns and references, warp sett is generally expressed as EPI, or ends per inch.
A warp set at 16 EPI therefore contains 16 warp ends per inch of width.
This should be distinguished from weft density, which is usually expressed as PPI, or picks per inch.
Both contribute to the structure of the cloth, but choosing the sett for a project usually begins with deciding how the warp ends will be distributed in the reed.
Why doesn’t a yarn have one single correct sett?
Because a yarn only becomes fabric when it interacts with the other elements of the project.
Yarn size matters, of course, but it is not the only factor.
The weave structure
Plain weave, twill and other structures do not interlace the yarns in the same way.
A sett that works well for one structure is therefore not automatically the sett you would choose for another, even with exactly the same yarn.
The fabric you want to create
Imagine two projects woven with the same cotton yarn: a soft scarf and a fabric intended for a bag.
The yarn may be identical, but the fabrics are not expected to behave in exactly the same way.
The scarf may need more softness and drape, while the bag fabric may require greater firmness and stability.
Sett therefore becomes a design tool, not simply a number to reproduce.
The fibre and the yarn
Two yarns of a similar size will not necessarily behave in the same way.
Fibre content, yarn construction, twist, elasticity and the changes that occur during finishing can all affect the appearance and behaviour of the cloth.
This is one reason why substituting one yarn for another based only on apparent size does not guarantee the same result.
Finishing
The fabric that comes off the loom is not necessarily the finished fabric.
Washing and finishing allow the yarns to move and settle into the structure. Depending on the fibre and the project, the appearance, dimensions and hand of the cloth can change.
This is why a sample should really be evaluated after finishing.
What are recommended setts for?
They are extremely useful.
A sett recommended by the yarn manufacturer, a pattern, a book or another reliable source gives you a starting point.
It prevents you from beginning completely from scratch.
But a recommendation does not necessarily know your project: the weave structure you have chosen, how the fabric will be used, the result you want or the way you weave.
It is therefore more useful to read a recommended sett as:
“This is a good place to start.”
rather than:
“This is the only correct sett for this yarn.”
One yarn, several setts
This is what we wanted to explore with a simple comparison.
We chose the same 8/2 cotton for both warp and weft and used a single weave structure: plain weave.
We then changed only one element: the warp sett.
The three samples were woven at:
- 10 EPI
- 12 EPI
- 15 EPI
The goal is not to decide which one is “correct.”
Instead, we want to observe what changing the sett actually does to the fabric.
Why sample?
Sampling is not only useful for checking whether a pattern works.
It helps answer a much more important question:
Does the fabric I am creating actually suit the project I want to make?
A small sample allows you to examine the structure, yarn coverage, stability and behaviour of the cloth after finishing.
It also lets you compare different possibilities before committing much more yarn and time to a complete project.
For a sample to be truly useful, however, it should go through the entire process.
If the finished piece will be washed, the sample should be washed as well.
A sample on the loom can tell us a great deal. A finished sample shows us the fabric we are actually creating.
How do you choose between several setts?
Once your samples are finished, do not automatically look for the one that seems the most “perfect.”
Return instead to the project itself.
- How will this fabric be used?
- Do I need softness or firmness?
- Am I looking for an open fabric or greater coverage?
- What visual balance do I want between warp and weft?
- How does the cloth behave after finishing?
- Does its hand and drape suit the project I want to make?
The answer may be different from one project to another — even when you are using exactly the same yarn.
From recommendation to finished project
Choosing a sett can ultimately be reduced to a fairly simple process:
- Find a reliable starting sett.
- Consider the weave structure and the project.
- Weave a sample.
- Finish it the same way you will finish the final piece.
- Observe the fabric you have created.
- Adjust if necessary.
- Warp the project.
A recommended sett gives you an excellent place to begin.
Your sample helps you decide where you want to end up.