Hello ---- I have posted this question on Ravelry but have decided to check in with Weavolution members too. I have a question about heddle size. My Kromski Harp RH came with a 10 dent heddle, so until I purchase the 8 and 12, I am using the 10. I am currently working on a table runner with 3/2 mercerized cotton, all the same color, with this 10 dent heddle, and I am trying to figure something out. I understand that this is not a “balanced weave”, because although I have used the 10 dent, the weft rows are measuring 8 per inch. I like the open looking weave, and it’s fine (warp dominant, right?), but I am confused about which heddle would have made a balanced weave. Since I am getting 8 picks per inch, an 8 dent heddle would make sense, but my limited knowledge thus far would have guessed 12, instead, because this yarn is actually much lighter than I have been using for scarves. On the other hand, I could never pack this yarn tightly enough to get 12 picks per inch (I don’t think?). Is this because the 3/2 cotton is not as soft…more tightly wound? At any rate, my “guess” of 12 is the opposite of what I am seeing happen, which makes me think 8, for balanced weave……can anyone enlighten me? Thanks. :)

Comments

Tue, 05/03/2011 - 20:19

Weavolutionary

The picture looks nice.  You can add it to your post by following the directions HERE.

A balanced weave is one where the epi (ends per inch or warp threads/inch) equals the ppi (picks per inch) so if your beat is 8 ppi and your epi is 10 you have a warp intense weave.  It's not a warp faced weave until you have a greater disparity between the two.

Your 10 dent heddle is comprised of 5 slots and 5 holes/ inch or space for 10 threads/inch.  If you want a sett of 12 on a 10 dent heddle, just add a thread to one slot and one hole out of every 10,  If you want to thread your 10 dent heddle for 8, just eliminate one slot and one hole of every 10.  I do this all the time and rarely purchase extra heddles for my rh looms.  

Your web looks nice in the picture but if it is a towel you may want it to beat more firmly so that you have more of a balanced weave.  I like my scarves to have a softer hand than towels but it's an individual thing.

Hope that helps.  If you need a faster response, post comments in the Weaving forum.  Everyone on the site sees posts in the Forums (click on forums in the orange box at the top of the page) only members of a group see posts for that group.

Claudia, Weavo co-founder

Wed, 05/04/2011 - 01:53

clgy (not verified)

Claudia, 

Yes, warp intense. :) I had no idea that I could adjust the sett by just adding more yarn in the heddles, or less. As for the beating, this was a table runner so I didn't mind the open weave. But I don't think I could have managed to get it much tighter. It's off the loom now, and I still need to finish it, which I will do tomorrow. Thanks much for your help. I did post this on forums also. I had trouble trying to do that yesterday, because I was going through the "add" feature which didn't seem to work. This time, I went through the forums and it worked out much better. 

By the way, do you have any weekend or 3-4 day classes planned for next fall? I think I will be ready to consider taking one sometime between October and February. Poolsville is not that far away!

Thanks,

Cindy

Wed, 05/04/2011 - 12:38

kellytwo (not verified)

Your 10 dent heddle is comprised of 5 slots and 5 holes/ inch or space for 10 threads/inch.  If you want a sett of 12 on a 10 dent heddle, just add a thread to one slot and one hole out of every 10,  If you want to thread your 10 dent heddle for 8, just eliminate one slot and one hole of every 10.  I do this all the time and rarely purchase extra heddles for my rh looms.  

Claudia, I'm a bit confussed about this. If you want to make your 10 dent heddle into a 12 dent heddle, and you add a thread to one slot and one hole out of every 10, that slot and hole will just have doubled threads lifted and lowered at the same time in those areas and make an error in the cloth. In my mind it won't produce an even 12 epi weave. On the other hand it's easy to reduce the epi with a 10 dent heddle to an 8 by skipping a slot and hole as you said, but I don't think it works the other way around. What do you think?

Doreen