Lesson modules

How to Weave a Kilim Rug (New - Added on April 2021) --- Due to high interest on “How to Weave a Kilim”, I have added new videos to help those interested to start this wonderful craft. videos --- A-Z details on how to weave a kilim After learning the rug-weaving process, here’s a look at a different variation known as a Kilim. A Kilim is a type of hand-made rug which does not have any knots and therefore no pile. It is flat-woven and typically looks identical from the back and the front. Before the [...]

Symmetric 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 one of the two major knot types. TURKISH (Symmetric) Knot Knots are tied using the knife tool below. It has a hook on the tip which helps pick and lift warps to maneuver the wool to finish the knot. The number of warps depends on the size of the [...]

Persian Rug Weaving Building the foundation steps have been completed, here is a step-by-step view of the weaving process. Weaving includes tying knots by hand one row at a time followed by a row(s) of wefts to keep them secure and repeating the process. For this piece, we’re using a Turkish (Symmetric) knot (shown on the right) which wraps around both warps. We will have 23 knots across each row. If needed, other lessons give explanation on the design, building a foundation and how to tie symmetric knots. We begin after we have built a [...]

Finishing a Persian Rug Once the weaving is complete, these are the final steps taken to prevent unraveling of the ends (fringes) and the sides (selvedges) in order to protect from wear and tear. Followed by trimming of the pile and cleaning. We will finish the rug with several rows of wefts, alternating between the right (white) and left (blue) warps across -with no knots- to weave a kilim that will again help decorate the piece and protect the knots over time. The kilim is followed by a couple of rows of double knots – the [...]

Shed & Heddle Once the warps have been added, as part of the foundation, setting up the shed and heddle sticks is the next critical part of the weaving process. A mechanism called a heddle stick is needed to facilitate the intertwining of the warps and wefts. It will keep the warps separated so the wefts can pass through them. The stick below serves as the natural shed separating the right and left wefts. The shed stick creates natural shed as it separates the right (white) warps. Note: For demonstration purposes, I will use white and [...]

What is a Persian Rug? The fundamental structure of a rug is a series of interwoven strings called warps and wefts. These are mostly made from cotton, wool or silk (Some warps are made of animal hair depending on the region). Looking straight at a loom, the strings that go up and down vertically are called warps. Warps also will eventually end up as the decorative fringes at either end of the rug. The material that goes back and forth horizontally is called the weft. The interlocking of the warp and the weft create a simple structure [...]

Persian Rug Loom The loom is a frame to build a foundation in order to begin weaving. 3 major steps in weaving a rug: 1) building a foundation, 2) weaving and 3) finishing the rug. This is part of the first step. The Loom is a frame to build a foundation to begin weaving. What is a loom? The loom is the structure or frame supporting the warps on which the rug is woven. It can be made of metal, solid wood or even tree branches, depending on availability. It can also either stand [...]

Hand-tied Knots in Persian Rugs Once the design has been determined, depending on the weaving region, there are two types of knots to consider – the Persian and Turkish. Also known as Asymmetric and Symmetric respectively. < previous Back to lessons next > Hand Knotted Persian Rugs Once the design has been determined, depending on the weaving region, there are two types of knots to consider – the Persian and Turkish. Also known as Asymmetric and Symmetric respectively. [...]

How to Weave a Persian Rug This video puts it all together, showing step-by-step how a rug is woven from beginning to end. The video begins with some background on why I wrote this eBook and follows it with a step-by-step guide on how to weave a Persian* (Iranian) rug. < previous Back to lessons Next >