Ask Madelyn: Waffle Weave and Sett

Hi Madelyn,

I've just started a color/pattern study project making a waffle-weave dish towel, my first waffle weave project. Here's my problem: I'm using 5/2 cotton and a 12-dent reed. I planned on sleying the reed using a 1-1-2 repeat (for 16 epi), but in a hurry to start sleying I didn't review my notes and only sleyed 1 thread per dent. Also, I was just reading about reeds and warp setts in Learning to Weave and according to the sett chart, a sett of 20 is recommended for a 5/2 cotton with a twill. If I leave it sleyed as it is, will the looser sett make a difference? Would a sett of 20 (and a 1-2 sleying order) be more appropriate for waffle weave?

—Leanne

Hi Leanne,

Waffle weave has long floats so should be sett closer than plain weave for the same yarn. I would agree that 20 is a better sett for waffle in 5/2. It is definitely worth resleying, but if you do 1-2 you'll only have 18 ends per inch. Go for something like: 2-1-2-2-2-1; that will give you 10 ends in every six dents or 20 ends per inch. Then weave a bit. If the sett needs to be closer or more open, you can always take out what you've woven and resley again.

—Madelyn