simple stripes in rich colors create a floor covering that’s perfect for any room. With colored pencils, sketch your stripe sizes and color on paper until you find an arrangement that works for you. A tapestry beater—a large handheld “fork”—will come in handy when weaving this cloth. You can press the weft into place with the rigid heddle, but the tapestry beater will help pack the weft further to create a dense, sturdy fabric. Lattice knotting finishes the warp ends and adds a decorative touch.
About 19½" (49.5 cm) wide by 34" (86.5 cm) long, with 1" (2.5 cm) fringe at each end.
Weft-faced plain weave.
12-dent rigid heddle with 21" (53.5 cm) weaving width; three stick shuttles; tapestry beater (optional).
Sett (epi)
4 (using a 12-dent rigid heddle).
Weaving Width
21" (53.5 cm).
Picks per Inch (ppi)
21.
Warp Length
68" (173 cm; includes 30" [76 cm] for loom waste and take-up).
Number of Warp Ends
84.
Warp
4-ply 8/4 fingering-weight unmercerized cotton (1,600 yd [1,463 m]/lb): 160 yd (181 m) pink.
Shown here: Mayville Carpet Warp (100% cotton; 800 yd [731.5 m]/8 oz): dusty rose.
Weft
2-ply very bulky wool (260 yd [237.5 m]/lb): 57 yd (52 m) maroon, 226 yd (206.5 m) pink, and 212 yd (194 m) rust.
Shown here: Halcyon Yarn Rug Wool (100% wool; 260 yd [237.5 m]/lb): #109 (maroon), #135 (dusty pink), and #106 (rust).
Warp the loom (see page 24) following the specifications on page 101. To space the warp in the reed, *thread a slit, skip the next hole and slot, then thread a hole, skip the next slot and hole, and repeat from * across the width. Every threaded slot must be followed by a threaded hole in order to form plain-weave sheds.
Wind one shuttle each with rust, dusty pink, and maroon.
Weave about 3" (7.5 cm) of firmly packed header to spread the warp ends (see page 40) and provide a solid ground for beating the weft (see Getting a Firm Beat, page 98).
Using a firm beat to ensure that the warp ends are completely covered with the weft, weave 3" (7.5 cm) with rust, 2" (5 cm) with dusty pink, 1" (2.5 cm) with maroon, then 2" (5 cm) of pink. Repeat this sequence three more times, then weave 3" (7.5 cm) with rust.
Weave 2" (5 cm) of firmly packed header to keep the last weft pick in place.
Remove the fabric from the loom (see page 46), leaving several inches of warp at each end for fringe. Place the rug on a table so that about 1" (2.5 cm) of woven rug hangs over the edge. Carefully remove the header, disturbing the weft as little as possible.
Starting at one edge, tie the first and second warp ends together in an overhand knot as close to the edge of the cloth as possible. Continue across the width, tying together every two warp ends. You may have to push the warp up at times to keep the edge of the cloth even.
Starting with the second and third warp ends, tie a second row of overhand knots ½" (1.3 cm) below the first knot so that the second row of knots is offset from the first by one warp end. Using a rotary cutter against a self-healing mat, trim the warp ½" (1.3 cm) from the second set of knots.
The rug does not have to be washed before use. If it becomes dirty, soak it in a bathtub in lukewarm water with mild soap. Use a soft scrub brush to loosen any dirt. Rinse, then roll in a towel to remove excess water. Lay flat to dry.
Minimize Bulk at Weft Joins
Leaving a 5" (12.5 cm) tail, cut the old weft. Ravel the plies of the tail and place them into the next shed. Pull one of the plies to the top of the shed 1" (2.5 cm) from the selvedge. Place the new weft in the shed on the opposite side of the join, also leaving a 5" (12.5 cm) tail. Beat the weft in place, then change sheds. Ravel the plies of the new tail and tuck them into this shed, then pull one of the plies to the top of shed 1" (2.5 cm) from the selvedge. Beat the weft in place. Continue to weave as usual for a few inches, then trim the loose plies close to the fabric.
