First Wool Rug
This was my first wool rug or maybe it is a saddle blanket. I still need to finish the edges but I am quite proud of it. I had a lot of trouble with the warp breaking so decided to only weave one rug. Luckily I only put on a small warp. The yarn was some that I bought on E-bay, so I don't know much about it, but the weft was wonderful.
Room size rag rugs
I used pre-washed fabrics strips sewn together and ironed before putting on the shuttle. I found both poke shuttles and ski shuttles worked best. The sett turned out a little closer than I wanted but the rug turned out very nice. This is the first time I have woven 2 rugs this size and I was concerned they would lay flat and the selvedges would be even for the length of the rug. I used a metal temple for the entire weaving and the selvedges are very even and the rug lays beautifully flat. The client who placed the order for these 2 rugs seemed pleased with the result.
My only criticism is that I found it very stressful working with a deadline. I spent all day every day either sewing strips together, ironing or weaving. I purchased the 20 yards of fabric I determined I would need for this project. I washed and ironed all the fabric when I brought it home. I used a rotary cutter and a mat to cut 18" strips from every fabric purchased. Once all the strips were cut and piled individually on a table, I chose, at random, 10-12 strips to sew together. I sewed the strips right side together at right angles, cut the selvedge and continued sewing. After I completed sewing 9-10 lengths of strips, I ironed them and wound them onto the shuttles for weaving. I used 9-10 strips/foot of weaving. It was a very time consuming process and the result was worth it.
Oaxacan Rug - woven with Churro Wool
In Oct., of 2010 I participated in the first ever class given by Wence Martinez (Martinez Studios, Baileys Harbor, WI), a masterful Oaxacan rug weaver. After a small trial piece, this rug is the first full sized result of using the techniques learned. This rug is 31" x 48" including fringes.
Yesterday, Nov. 6, 2011, I picked it up from Loominosity, the annual show from Wisconsin Handweavers, and it had won the HGA award for excellence.
I used Cchurro wool for this project which gives it the proper hand - the test piece was done with softer knitting yarn and lacked some of the character of this rug.
Next it on to a class with Sarah Natani in Navajo techniques next week at Hillcreek Studios.
Four-Patch Corners Rep Rugs
These rugs took some time to weave due to rag preparation. I dismantled 20 men's dress shirts and cut them into 2 inch strips. Then the strips were sewn together.
I like the end view of the rolled rugs fresh off the loom because it shows the shirt colors so well. The first rug was mostly from white shirts with a few striped ones. The next three rugs went progressively to the darker colored and striped shirts. It is always fun to mix rag colors.
One of the rugs shows an experimental bit of inlay. I don't think it is very effective and may pick it out.
Overall these were a lot of work. But I like this design and will tie another color way to this warp.
RepWeaver
Basic Rag Rug
These rugs are usually what I make, so I posted an example. The idea is not hard to see; allowing space for a fringe, then a denser header, then the body, another header and room for fringe.
Fleece rug
This was quite a bit different from any other weaving I have done. My wife spins, and had several bags of fleece, mostly from Shetland sheep, but also some alpaca. So I picked from each bag and varied the colors as I went, trying to keep the tendrils on the top side. It is fairly heavy, and very soft to walk on!
Split Shed Rug Threading
I've chosen to upload a rough draft without reference to a shedding mechanism. The threads either go up, down or stay neutral. The 1st shed and the 3rd shed have two sheds. Which is shown in one of the photos above. You pick up the 3/4 threads with a pickup stick and place your colors. I have chosen to use two colors in the photo provided. The 2nd and 4th are just rough tabby threads. The close up shows how the threads pack in. The tabby thread is barely visible. I am thinking this is related to a tied-Beiderwand structure but I have to look it up...
Just a process note on my bluebonnet rug. I have normally used a wool warp for split shed as you do have take up in a rug and you need the stretch to compensate. In this particular rug I used linen to see how it worked (even though I KNOW linen doesn't stretch). Even though I used some extra sticks in the back of my warp to provide slack in my tabby sheds I still ran out of my slack and the linen is not very forgiving. Hence you can really see the warp. I've posted a closeup of one of my other rugs WITH a wool warp so you can see how the coverage differs....it's all in how you pick your warp and weft for how they pack together (or not!)
Since this rug is for me or will be sold as a spec rug I am not concerned. People will either like it or not. It is still visually pleasing! Once it is off the loom, allowed to relax and steam pressed the weft threads will spread and the warp will sink back into a neutral background.
Bluebonnet Split Shed Rug
Rug finally off the loom a couple of weeks ago and I am starting to finish it. Need to needleweave some of the back in place, braid the fringe and steam press it. Photos soon I HOPE!
Rug for fun done with natural dye from my valley or grown in my garden. Yarn is a 3 ply leicester longwool spun for me by Taos Wool Valley Mill. I spun the sample for the mill and they spun the wool for me!
Yellow - Agarita
Blue - Woad overdyed with Japanese Indigo
Green- Agarita overdyed with Japanese Indigo
I have been working more on the dyepots rather than weaving since I am learning what gives me color here at home and the dyepots are winning out over the looms. Which is ok. Once I focus on the loom I use up my hand dyed yarn fairly quickly. You can check out my blog for more detail and process photos on the dyeing. http://web.me.com/debmcclintock/Site/Deb...
Done with split shed pickup technique with 3 wefts. Please see Jane Evan's excellent webpage that details this technique. janeevans.ca/Techniques.shtml
This is a special rug for me as it is a connection between the Lao design process I have learned over the past 10 years, my traditional way of doing split shed combined with learning the colors of my valley here in our new home after our move. A very satisfying combination!
Berber Rug With Bhutan Designs
This is an interpretation of the wool weavings I saw in Bhutan in which a pattern weft is woven into the fabric as the weaving progresses. (The navy bag and scarf are pieces that I bought there.) The result looks a lot like a form of embroidery called Swedish weaving or huckaback embroidery. The unfortunate thing is that there are pattern yarn tails on the back which I always find undesirable. Also the twill structure produced a lighter rug than I'm used to and I was sure it would skid easily and be a hazard. So I sewed some felted/sticky commercial rug backing on -- solving both problems at once.
The threading is a straight draw and the treadling is 2/2 straight draw twill.
Masterbath Chenille Rugs
Used carpet warp doubled, two in each slot in a 6 dent reed. Also used new tensioning device, which worked quite well. Weft-faced, plain weave. No headers this time. Used a warping paddle with 6 ends. Save a bunch of time, warping over 300 ends.
