Tartan design & fabric weight: Question of general understanding?

[ThistleDown]

Tartan fabric is weighed as one linear yard in length x its double-width or 60 inches. So 36"X60" or 2160 square inches.

There are two ways that you could make the same amount of fabric weight more or less.

One way would be to use the same yarn but cram more or fewer yarns into the same inch.

Another would be to use thicker, heavier yarns.

In reality it is a little of both.

One weaver sent me their "Ends per inch" for their various fabrics.
10oz @ 66 ends per inch.
13oz @ 44.45 ends per inch.
16oz @ 36.83 ends per inch.

Also in general the overall Sett size gets larger the wider/heavier the yarns.

10oz on the left, 13oz in the center and 16oz on the right.



You should be able to see that the different fabrics get progressively coarser looking as the weight increases.

Steve, that's worth a 'sticky'. Thanks.