Ask Madelyn: Setts with Deflected Doubleweave

I've been studying deflected doubleweave and would like to use up my stash of Harrisville Highland yarn (I have two very contrasting colors that I think would look wonderful using this weave). Is there anything I should be aware of when it comes to deflected doubleweave patterns using a wool that will full quite a bit after it is washed? Should the sett/ppi be different? Is there a particular pattern that would work best with this type of yarn?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Sincerely,

Kathryn

Hi Kathryn!

Black and White Silk Scarf in deflected doubleweave by Madelyn van der Hoogt from Handwoven January/February 2007.

Harrisville Highland will work beautifully using any draft in deflected doubleweave. The sett you choose will depend on the particular draft you pick. The warp and weft of each weave pass over the weft and warp of the other to create floats (the yarns spread into these float areas during finishing). In most cases, floats are four threads long, as is true of the example in the photo. With wool, the more you want the yarn to full, the more open you want the sett to be (the yarn will full beautifully as it fills the float areas). I usually start with a rule of thumb that the sett for deflected doubleweave should be between 125% and 150% of the sett for plain weave, but with wools that full, a more open sett produces a softer cloth.

The recommended sett (from the Master Yarn Chart) for a single layer of Harrisville Shetland is 15 ends per inch. The sett for the cloth in the photo is 16 ends per inch. The recommended sett for plain weave in Harrisville Highland is 8 ends per inch. I think I would try 10 ends per inch if the deflected doubleweave draft you are using shows four or more threads in each block (producing floats over four or more threads). Only sampling will truly tell; you can always change the sett after weaving and washing a sample (you'll be close enough that the change will be minor). Always put on a longer warp than you think you will need!

Madelyn

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