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Weave structure affecting propensity to wrinkle in the wash
Here’s a head scratcher. I made up samples of plain weave and 2/2 twill with identical materials, washed in the machine and dried flat. The plain weave wrinkled and the twill didn’t.
The samples are from a warp of 20/2 wool sett at 24 and 30 epi. The weft is a fine mystery yarn with tweedy bits. The burn test indicates natural fibers, most likely including some wool. The hand is cottony.
Any idea how/why weave structure affects wrinkling?
I like the look of the plain weave but the wrinkling is a no-go for me. Can I get a look similar to plain weave without the wrinkling?
In the photo, the top is 2/2 twill and the bottom is plain weave after a good pressing, still showing some wrinkles.
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11 Replies
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That type of ‘wrinkling’ is called ‘tracking’ and there are a number of factors that may affect when and how much that happens.
Sharon Alderman wrote an article about it and came up with some techniques for minimizing it. Handwoven magazine may still offer that issue as a digital download. I don’t remember the title or year offhand, but they do have an online index.
The theory is that yarns with latent twist in them will ‘track’ more than yarns without such latent twist energy.
It can be *reduced* by increasing the epi/ppi, but that builds in more stiffness, which may not be desirable.
If you can’t find the issue, let me know – I’ll dig out my textile index and post the issue if you can’t find it. then you can see if Handwoven has it available as a download.
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Hi Laura, thanks for the reply! I see tracking (like in the Handwoven article) in the plain weave sample that uses 20/2 wool as the weft on the 20/2 wool warp at 24 epi. It appeared only after washing. Now I wish I had done an equivalent piece at 30 epi to see if it addressed that.
The issue with the tweedy sample looks like the wrinkling you see when you wash quilting cotton. I think this points to the fiber content containing cotton.
I’m still curious why a twill weave structure would be less prone to wrinkling.
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There is more room for the twist energy to dissipate, and the weave structure allows for the threads to bend and curve more, not be ‘trapped’ in the over under weave structure of plain weave. It’s a very subtle effect in weave structures other than plain weave. I don’t think I’ve got any photos that would come close to showing it. But I do have some loom state towels and some in the same type of weave structure that *might* show it. I’ll check tomorrow and see what I can find.
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If you check out the link, which is actually about absorbency, there are some very close closeups of cloth after wet finishing. You can see how the yarn has bloomed and twisted, if you look really closely. There is plain weave, twill and huck lace.
https://handwovenmagazine.com/yarn-lab-reflections-on-absorbency/
handwovenmagazine.com
Yarn Lab: Reflections on Absorbency
Why are some handwoven towels absorbent but not others? This informative Yarn Lab will clear up some of the mystery.
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Fascinating! So if I used a broken twill, I might get a look that I like with less wrinkling.
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Yes. Any twill will look less ‘creased’. Other weave structures like lace weaves, if they have a lot of plain weave areas, can tend to ‘track’ in those areas. Overshot may also tend to ‘track’ in some cases, but usually the overshot pattern threads will tend to ‘hide’ it.
Other weave structures depend on the threads shifting and moving to develop to their full potential – lace weaves, waffle, honeycomb, deflected double weave, pique, and so on.
Which is why I always tell people to weave a sample and wet finish it – so that they know what to expect when the web is finally ‘done’.
So, you are on the right track!
Welcome to the wonderful world of weaving, where the learning never ends. :)
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“on the right track”! Ba dum cha! ????
I’m late to the party and don’t have anything to add to what Laura has already said except this: I LOVE tracking! Usually, anyway.
It’s frustrating when you get it where you really don’t want it, or when it’s severe in one area and minimal in another. For the things I usually weave (tea towels, scarves) that usually doesn’t matter so much, so I think of it as an unexpected gift. Makes the structure look SO FANCY when it’s just plain weave. As a new weaver, I spent ages staring at fabrics trying to figure out just what complex twill they were done in only to be told that they were plain weave. It’s like an easter egg – unlooked for, hidden bonus content!
…none of which helps when you really. do. not. want. it, I realize. Hope you can figure out a solution that gives you exactly the cloth you want!
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I love your explanation, Janet.
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When I was in graduate school, I lived for a year on a small farm with a carpenter and a weaver. I milked the goats and cared for the sheep and chickens and geese in exchange for room and board. This was my first exposure to weaving, and this is a picture of a scarf that Debbie wove for me. She explained to me that the absolutely lovely pattern was called tracking. So, tracking was the very first thing I ever learned about weaving! The white wool is a single ply, and Debbie told me that singles yarn tracks more than plied yarn (not sure if it is so, but it is what she said).
It is 42 years later, and I just took this picture because I still have the scarf. So I agree with Janet, I think the tracking is glorious!
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Did a blog post because I figured other new weavers might want to see the effect as well.
https://laurasloom.blogspot.com/2024/02/magic-in-water.html
And yes, singles can track more than plied, but some plied yarns will also track – like Brassard’s 2/8 cotton.
laurasloom.blogspot.com
Digital microscope view of loom state cloth woven in the 'new to me' weave structure. Reed marks are clearly visible and the threads are ...
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I have found that *generally* I can minimise tracking by soaking things. I use a LOT of 2/8 brassard cotton for towels, and if I am using a lot of plain weave, I will put HOT water in my tub and sometimes a drop or two (literally) of Blue Dawn dish soap, lay a stack of towels down in it, and leave them until the water cools (or I remember they are there, whichever comes last), THEN wash them as usual.
I tend to get almost no tracking this way, most of the time. My theory is that soaking the fabric in hot water with soap allows the fibres to release any oils from spinning, and absorb a lot of water, which I THINK allows the twist to distribute itself more or less evenly along the threads.
I really should do an experiment…..
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