What Is Maximum Size Weft Compared To Warp

When yous're learning to weave, terms like WPI (wraps per inch), EPI (ends per inch), and weaving sett can be disruptive! This weblog post explains each of these common weaving terms, and explains how to calculate all iii so you can start weaving with confidence.

Weaving Definitions

Here are a few of the weaving terms nosotros'll be using in this post. For a total glossary of weaving and equipment terms, check out this blog post.

WPI: wraps per inch, the number of times a yarn around a one" space on a ruler or selection-up stick.

PPI:picks per inch, the number of weft threads in ane inch of woven cloth

EPI: ends per inch, the number of warp threads in one inch of woven fabric. Information technology is often used interchangeably with sett (see below)

Sett: the distribution of warp ends in your fabric, usually over one inch (hence epi = sett).

How to Find Your WPI (Wraps Per Inch)

Say you've just downloaded one of our weaving patterns and you accept some yarn in your stash that yous remember will piece of work. How do you know for certain whether or non you tin substitute it? Y'all tin start by comparing the recommended sett of the project with the recommended sett of your yarn. Only the label from your yarn is long gone or never had one, so at present what?

Like shooting fish in a barrel! Find your WPI to calculate your EPI to go your sett.

First, permit'southward find out the WPI of your mystery yarn. Using a ruler or smooth stick (like a option-up stick) with markings one" autonomously, wrap the yarn snugly for ane inch with no space between the yarn, but make sure you lot aren't scrunching up or overlapping the yarn. Count how many times yous wrapped the yarn in one inch. That'southward your WPI, or wraps per inch!

How to Calculate Ends Per Inch (EPI) / Sett in Weaving

Now, if you wait at your wrapped ruler or option-upwards stick, the threads are butted up against each other with no space between. Just to weave, your weft yarn needs space to pass over and under your warp threads.

So past definition, your WPI will e'er be greater than your EPI. Ok—how much greater? Mostly speaking, the rule of thumb goes as follows...

Tabby / Apparently Weave

Tabby, or apparently weave, EPI is WPI divided by 2. So if your yarn wraps at 24 wraps per inch, you volition want 12 ends per inch in your warp to give infinite for your weft to laissez passer.

Twill Weave

Twill weave EPI is about ii/3 of WPI. And so if your yarn wraps at 24 wraps per inch, yous volition want 16 ends per inch in your warp.

Weaving Samples & Other Tips for Determining Your EPI/Sett

These are some bones guidelines for how to determine your EPI/sett. Y'all should apply these guidelines to inform how you begin your sampling procedure. While everyone wants to get right into weaving, sampling is a big part of the creativity of a new weaving project, and can relieve you time, money and heartache by discovering what works and doesn't work before y'all weave your entire project. Enjoy the sampling process!

As y'all prepare out to sample, here are a few other things to consider when deciding on your sett.

How dense practice you lot want your finished fabric to be?

The heavier your EPI and PPI, the denser your finished fabric volition be. Then if, for example, you are planning a manifestly weave scarf and you notice that your yarn has 24 wraps per inch, your starting point for the sett would be 12 ends per inch. If you actually wanted your scarf to exist calorie-free and airy, you could sample with a more open up sett of ten ends per inch, and weave your weft with a light touch so your PPI was also around 10 EPI. If, in contrast, you lot wanted a dumbo heavy placemat, y'all might take the same yarn and sample it at 14 or 15 EPI, with a heavy trounce of xiv or 15 PPI.

What weaving draft practice you lot intend to employ?

Every bit stated above, the starting betoken for a plain weave is typically WPI/2. The starting point for a twill weave is typically WPI * ⅔. Other weaving drafts and weaving structures will have other starting points, depending on how wide your weft floats will be and how many warp threads the weft skips over at one time.

Do you lot want your project to be warp-facing, weft-facing, or balanced?

Warp-facing means that the threads, or yarns, that are most visible in the finished cloth are the warp threads, where your EPI would exist significantly college than your PPI if you are using the same yarn in warp and weft. Weft-facing ways that the threads that are nigh visible in the finished cloth are weft threads, where your PPI would be significantly higher than your EPI if you lot are using the same yarn in warp and weft. A balanced weave, where both warp and weft threads are equally visible, typically has an EPI and PPI that are close to each other if you lot are using the same yarn in warp and weft.

Will your warp and weft shrink differently when moisture-finished?

Some of the near delightful accidents can happen when combining dissimilar fibers in the warp and weft. For example, a cotton yarn and a wool yarn will react very differently to wet finishing, and the woven fabric will be quite unlike than when information technology was on the loom. You'll want to keep different shrinkage rates in heed equally you lot sample with your yarn.

We promise you constitute this mail helpful! If y'all're a new weaver and looking for other resources, be sure and bank check out Popular Resource for Weavers.