The wool
The ovine wool is certainly the raw material moSTLY used to PRODUCE knotted handiworks. Being able to choose and work with it is very important as the quality of yarn strongly affects the softness and the resistance of the carpet and it also determines the brightness of the colours and patterns.
It is always better to use a fleece that is not too curly, otherwise it is frequently necessary to treat the fleece with artificial substances that can alter their resistance.
Furthermore, it is important to carry out the shearing at a specific period during the year ideally spring or the end of summer.
Remembering that, the most precious wool is obtained from the shoulders, neck and back.
Once sheared, the wool is submitted to a washing process, necessary to remove all impurities and to degrease it. The most expert craftsmen know this treatment does not have to be too drastic as the correct percentage of grease makes the yarns particularly soft.
Once washed, the wool is dried with care, possibly through exposure to the sun to make it gauzier. Then it is carded and spun.
In modern processes, it is very common that this operation is done mechanically. However, spinning by hand is always the best as this allows the elimination of any irregularity of the fibre, making it very compact and suitable for each kind of weaving.
The silk
Silk rugs are famously classified as precious.
This fame is surely deserved, as silk fibres are able to bring out the unique colours of the carpets, while also showing the patterns in great detail.
Above all, the fibres are extremely resistant to tensile stress and for this reason suitable to produce warps with a good tensile strength, enhanced by thick and extremely small knots that only silk can give.
One of the reasons that makes silk so precious is the high percentage of waste during the working phase: from seven kilos of cocoons, on average, only one kilo of pure silk is produced.
The colours
Despite the wide use of synthetic colours, even today, the most prestigious Eastern and domestic manufactures make use of natural colours, extracted and prepared in accordance with very ancient methods (they are considered to be secrets that are guarded with envy).
However, at the end of nineteenth century, the use of synthetic colours made it possible to widen the chromatic range. This contributing to make many handmade articles even better. Today, the best manufacturers use both techniques.
The working tools
The loom is the most used tool allowing the creation of pieces of various dimensions.
It has a solid and steady structure, formed by two lateral uprights and by two closing beams. The upper heddle separates the warp yarns on proper seats fixed to the uprights while the lower one is passed through the warps.
There are also other auxiliary tools, mainly necessary during the knotting phase, as the characteristic blades having a hooked point. They are useful to cut the nooses and to knot. While, combing allows to fix and close the wefts of the knots; this working phase is carried out with absolute accuracy. When the work is finished, it is necessary to carry out careful shaving that is still done by skilled Shearer, an expert in the handling of specialist scissors and sharp blades.
The carpet’s structure
The warp
In the carpet structure, the warp constitutes the bearing part of the framework, a kind of skeleton that must be produced with absolute accuracy to avoid defects to the final product, such as humps and warpings. The best materials to use are undoubtedly silk and cotton, which are highly resistant and give a strong textile strength.
To create the warp, the yarns are tightened on the beam equidistantly; each one creates a chain that, once finished, appears in the single yarns on the fringe. A precious rug always has a high number of warp chains.
The framework
The weft thread passes through the warp and this structure is also useful to tie up knots. Once the work is finished, it must not be noticed, therefore, it is preferable to hide it under a higher fleece.
The weft thread can be made in wool or in cotton; also silk is an excellent material but, usually, it is used for valuable pieces due to the high costs.
The fringes
Fringes are the visible part of the warp chains and obviously are exposed to wear. Their yarns can be knotted in different ways depending on the producing Country; therefore, sometimes, they are an excellent indication to discover the place of origin.
The fleece
The fleece is composed of the cut nooses of knots and it is obtained during the shearing phase. This is extremely important to show the patterns precisely. An uneven or too long shearing could, in fact, compromise the clarity of the decorative structure; therefore, it is important that the fleece is not too long.
The knots
Mainly we can distinguish two kinds of knots: the symmetric and the asymmetric.. In old and ancient workshops, the first kind, the Turkish knot, was used to produce Anatolian, Caucasian and Middle Asian carpets while, the second type characterises the Persian knots.
Today, this differentiation is not so defined, even if the asymmetric knot is more suitable for producing floral and natural decorations, giving a soft and sinuous profile, while the symmetric, larger knot, is used with excellent results in geometric iconographies and has the property to be more resistant. Therefore, it is more suitable to produce handiworks for daily use.
The selvedges
The selvedges correspond to the hem along the edges, where there is no fringe, and are composed of warp chains where knots are not tied.
The ovine wool is certainly the raw material moSTLY used to PRODUCE knotted handiworks. Being able to choose and work with it is very important as the quality of yarn strongly affects the softness and the resistance of the carpet and it also determines the brightness of the colours and patterns.
It is always better to use a fleece that is not too curly, otherwise it is frequently necessary to treat the fleece with artificial substances that can alter their resistance.
Furthermore, it is important to carry out the shearing at a specific period during the year ideally spring or the end of summer.
Remembering that, the most precious wool is obtained from the shoulders, neck and back.
Once sheared, the wool is submitted to a washing process, necessary to remove all impurities and to degrease it. The most expert craftsmen know this treatment does not have to be too drastic as the correct percentage of grease makes the yarns particularly soft.
Once washed, the wool is dried with care, possibly through exposure to the sun to make it gauzier. Then it is carded and spun.
In modern processes, it is very common that this operation is done mechanically. However, spinning by hand is always the best as this allows the elimination of any irregularity of the fibre, making it very compact and suitable for each kind of weaving.
The silk
Silk rugs are famously classified as precious.
This fame is surely deserved, as silk fibres are able to bring out the unique colours of the carpets, while also showing the patterns in great detail.
Above all, the fibres are extremely resistant to tensile stress and for this reason suitable to produce warps with a good tensile strength, enhanced by thick and extremely small knots that only silk can give.
One of the reasons that makes silk so precious is the high percentage of waste during the working phase: from seven kilos of cocoons, on average, only one kilo of pure silk is produced.
The colours
Despite the wide use of synthetic colours, even today, the most prestigious Eastern and domestic manufactures make use of natural colours, extracted and prepared in accordance with very ancient methods (they are considered to be secrets that are guarded with envy).
However, at the end of nineteenth century, the use of synthetic colours made it possible to widen the chromatic range. This contributing to make many handmade articles even better. Today, the best manufacturers use both techniques.
The working tools
The loom is the most used tool allowing the creation of pieces of various dimensions.
It has a solid and steady structure, formed by two lateral uprights and by two closing beams. The upper heddle separates the warp yarns on proper seats fixed to the uprights while the lower one is passed through the warps.
There are also other auxiliary tools, mainly necessary during the knotting phase, as the characteristic blades having a hooked point. They are useful to cut the nooses and to knot. While, combing allows to fix and close the wefts of the knots; this working phase is carried out with absolute accuracy. When the work is finished, it is necessary to carry out careful shaving that is still done by skilled Shearer, an expert in the handling of specialist scissors and sharp blades.
The carpet’s structure
The warp
In the carpet structure, the warp constitutes the bearing part of the framework, a kind of skeleton that must be produced with absolute accuracy to avoid defects to the final product, such as humps and warpings. The best materials to use are undoubtedly silk and cotton, which are highly resistant and give a strong textile strength.
To create the warp, the yarns are tightened on the beam equidistantly; each one creates a chain that, once finished, appears in the single yarns on the fringe. A precious rug always has a high number of warp chains.
The framework
The weft thread passes through the warp and this structure is also useful to tie up knots. Once the work is finished, it must not be noticed, therefore, it is preferable to hide it under a higher fleece.
The weft thread can be made in wool or in cotton; also silk is an excellent material but, usually, it is used for valuable pieces due to the high costs.
The fringes
Fringes are the visible part of the warp chains and obviously are exposed to wear. Their yarns can be knotted in different ways depending on the producing Country; therefore, sometimes, they are an excellent indication to discover the place of origin.
The fleece
The fleece is composed of the cut nooses of knots and it is obtained during the shearing phase. This is extremely important to show the patterns precisely. An uneven or too long shearing could, in fact, compromise the clarity of the decorative structure; therefore, it is important that the fleece is not too long.
The knots
Mainly we can distinguish two kinds of knots: the symmetric and the asymmetric.. In old and ancient workshops, the first kind, the Turkish knot, was used to produce Anatolian, Caucasian and Middle Asian carpets while, the second type characterises the Persian knots.
Today, this differentiation is not so defined, even if the asymmetric knot is more suitable for producing floral and natural decorations, giving a soft and sinuous profile, while the symmetric, larger knot, is used with excellent results in geometric iconographies and has the property to be more resistant. Therefore, it is more suitable to produce handiworks for daily use.
The selvedges
The selvedges correspond to the hem along the edges, where there is no fringe, and are composed of warp chains where knots are not tied.
