Lesson modules

PDF on How Rugs are Woven This PDF will provide high-level information on how we went from fabrics to weaving handmade rugs. It also shows step by step, using illustrations, how rugs are woven.  download Free PDF Back to lessons

Live Presentation on Rug Weaving This video is a presentation I made at a rug store (The Rug Rack And Home Decor in Chattanooga TN) about how rugs are woven. It includes some question and answers from the audience.  < previous Back to lessons go to gallery >

Asymmetric Knots At this point, the foundation work has been completed including securing the base, let's examine closely the two types of knots before we begin the weaving process by tying knots by hand one row at a time. Here, we will examine closely the second major knot type. PERSIAN (Asymmetric) Knot Knots are tied using weaver’s fingers. The Persian knot does not require the knife tool. The number of warps depends on the size of the rug. In this example, our rug will have 23 knots horizontally, so we’ll need 27 pairs [...]

An Oriental Rug's Design One of the fundamental decisions in rug-making is what pattern to weave. There are individuals whose only job is to design rugs, and they have the important responsibility of picking the right color combination to ensure a pleasing final product. They use what is called a Cartoon to design the rug and help the weavers to stay on track once they begin to weave. Below is a sample cartoon, a variation of which was used to weave many of the sample pieces included in this eBook. Each square represents a hand-tied knot using [...]

Tools to make a Persian Rug Before executing the process to make a rug, there are a few tools needed to make it successful. < previous Back to lessons next > Tools to make a Persian Rug Before executing the process to make a rug, there are a few tools needed to make it successful.   < previous Back to lessons next >

What is a Persian Rug Weave? The first step in analyzing a Persian rug is to learn how it was made. Recognizing the weave is the key. Each Persian rug weaving region has its own unique weaving pattern. Rarely do they deviate from the discipline that is faithfully passed on through the generations. Rug experts recognize Persian rugs by looking at the back of the rug, not the front. The left picture below shows the front of rug woven with four different weaves. But you wouldn't know that until you look at the back of the rug [...]

Adding Warps to a Loom Step 1: Adding Warps 3 major steps in weaving a rug: 1) building a foundation, 2) weaving and 3) finishing the rug. Adding warps is the first step in building a foundation. Adding warps is the first step in building a foundation. I will now show step-by-step what is required to weave a rug. There are, of course, different ways to construct a rug using a loom; I will mainly be describing the necessary steps that are universal to rug weaving. The intent is for you to have [...]

Securing the Base of a Persian Rug Once the warps are added and the shed & heddle sticks are set up, to continue making a strong foundation for the rug, you must properly secure the base. Next, sticks are added on the bottom of the warps to provide a stable foundation to weave the rug. Note that they each pass alternatively under the right and left warps serving as a locking mechanism. Note: Flat sticks, the width of a ruler may be used on larger rugs. Note: For demonstration purposes, in some pictures I will [...]

Adding Wefts to a Persian Rug Once the building a foundation is completed, adding in wefts are used as a transition from securing the rug to the first steps of the weaving process. Note: For demonstration purposes, in some pictures I will use white and blue colored warp yarns to represent the right and the left warps, respectively. This is intended to help viewers recognize each knot is tied on two warp strings. We will begin the rug with several rows of wefts, alternating between the right (white) and left (blue) warps across (without tying any [...]