The Gather Sett Chart is meant to be used as a starting point to help you save time determining the ideal sett for your project. Determining the ideal sett often requires some trial and error. Ruler wrapping, and sampling are truly the best way to determine sett, but this chart is a great place to start!
Material |
Yards/Pound |
Sett |
Project Specific Recommendations |
16/2 Cotton |
6,720 |
20-30 |
20 epi plain weave: open gauze 24 epi plain weave: drapes well 28 epi plain weave: firm 30 epi twill: drapes well |
8/2 Cotton |
3,360 |
16-20 |
18 epi plain weave: perfect tea towels 20 epi twill: perfect tea towels Combine with boucle cotton weft at 16 epi in twill for a fuzzy and super absorbent towel |
Boucle Cotton |
2,300 |
12 |
12 epi plain weave |
8/4 Cotton |
1,680 |
10-16 |
10 epi plain weave: excellent drape 12 epi twill: excellent drape 16 epi twill: firm, lies flat Combine with boucle in twill at 12 epi for heavy duty towels Combine with 8/8 cotton in twill at 12 epi for chunky table runners or placemats |
2/8 Cottolin |
3,360 |
16-20 |
See notes for 8/2 cotton |
Bamboo |
3,360 |
18-24 |
18 epi plain weave: excellent drape 24 epi twill: excellent drape |
Seine Twine (#6, #9, #12) |
#6: 840 #9: 670 #12: 1,260 |
4-10 |
#6: 4-6 epi #9: 6-8 epi #12: 8-10 epi Sett should be determined to cover the warp entirely for a weft facing project with a seine twine warp. |
Alpaca 3/10 |
1,730 |
10-16 |
10 epi plain weave: drapey scarf 12 epi plain weave: more substantial scarf/blanket 16 epi twill: warm blanket or scarf with beautiful drape |
Briggs and Little Heritage Wool |
860 |
6-8 |
6 epi: plain weave 8 epi: twill blanket Pair with a seine twine warp at 4-6 epi for a sturdy rug |
Normandy Linen |
16/6, 800 16/4, 1200 16/2, 2400 40/2, 6000 30/1, 9000 |
6-10 10-14 20-24 30-36 36-40 |
6-8 epi plain weave, 8-10 epi twill 10-12 epi plain weave, 12-14 epi twill 20 epi plain weave, 24 epi twill 30 epi plain weave, 36 epi twill Plain weave 36, Twill 40 |
Silk Noil 2 ply |
2,700 |
18-24 |
18-20epi: Plain Weave 24epi: Twill |
Silk Noil 4 ply |
1,360 |
10-12 |
10epi: Plain Weave 12epi: Twill |
Organic Cotton 3/2 |
1,260 |
12-16 |
12epi plain weave: super soft 16epi twill: super soft and drapey |
8/2 Slub Cotton |
3,750 |
16-20 |
Same as for 8/2 cotton |
Harrisville Shetland |
1,800 |
8-12 |
8epi plain weave: scarf 10epi twill: blanket 12epi twill: heavy duty blanket |
3 Ply Cottolin |
1,136 |
8-12 |
8-10epi: plain weave 10-12epi: twill |
2 Ply Merino Wool |
809 |
6-10 |
6-8epi plain weave: fluffy scarf/blanket 10epi twill: blanket |
Text to accompany reed substitution chart
The purpose of the reed is to spread out the threads as evenly as possible to create the appropriate width and cloth density for your project. Your sett might not always spread in the reed with an equal number of ends in each dent. The goal is to spread the threads out as evenly as possible. Sometimes that will mean more than one thread per dent. Having a variety of reeds available is ideal, but if you have only one reed you can still make most projects work. The more evenly you can spread out the threads, the less streaking you will have in your cloth.
Generally, it is best to aim for as few threads per dent in your reed as possible. More than 2 or 3 ends in each dent can leave reed marks in your cloth that will not come out with wet finishing. Eventually, you will want a selection of reeds to choose from. A 12 dent reed is the most flexible reed and an excellent reed if you have only one. As you gain experience and want to add to your collection, an 8, 10 and 15 dent reed will allow you to weave well at almost any sett.
Your reed can also be used as a design tool. Purposely threading your reed more densely in some areas and less in others can create a variegated cloth where the spacing becomes a design feature.
This chart is designed to assist you in determining the best way to sley your reed to achieve a given sett. See the following examples in order to best understand how the Reed Substitution Chart works.
Example 1: You want to weave some 8/2 cotton tea towels at 18epi, but you only have a 12 dent reed. What should you do?
Answer: Sley your reed 2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1. This will give you a total of 18 epi using a 12 dent reed as consistently as possible.
Example 2: You want to weave a rug with the warp sett at 8epi, but you only have a 10 dent reed. What do you do?
Answer: Sley your reed 1-1-1-1-0-1-1-1-1-0. This will give you a total of 8 ends per inch using a 10 dent reed as consistently as possible. You may notice subtle streaking in the spaces with no thread. The streaking often becomes less visible after wet finishing.
Pro Tip: Delicate yarns that can break with abrasion in the reed benefit from a more open reed. For example, a 10 epi nubby wool warp would prefer a 5 dent reed to a 10 dent reed.