Sett size??

[mookien]

It is my (admittedly naive) understanding that if a tartan has a small sett size and the weaver is told the cloth is being woven for a kilt (as opposed to something like a dress or upholstery), the weaver will scale the sett up to a size suitable for a kilt. Is that incorrect?

[Paul Henry]

It is my (admittedly naive) understanding that if a tartan has a small sett size and the weaver is told the cloth is being woven for a kilt (as opposed to something like a dress or upholstery), the weaver will scale the sett up to a size suitable for a kilt. Is that incorrect?

Weavers will do as they are told, but they don't "second guess".They won't automatically change the sett size unless they are told to do so.It makes little difference to them what sett size they weave, but they don't want to have to make the decision themselves.Whenever I have requested a special sizing I have always done so in writing and got their agreement likewise.There could well be an instance of the kilt wearer actually wanting a very small sett.Take for example the Shepherds (Northumberland)plaid , which is really nothing more than equal black and white, the weaver would be unwillinging to change the traditional size unless specially asked and likewise the Rob Roy (MacGregor red and Black squares) sett which is normally woven with a larger square than the Shepherds, but essentialky it's the same thread count