The Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Weaving!
I have loved all things fabric since I was young. My mother, an avid crafter, introduced me to this passion. She had a tiny room, think of a closet with a small window, where she would sew, crochet and whatever. She was very good at making things out of nothing. She would often bring me fabrics to create and make things with. My interest stayed with me as I grew and I now find myself in the textile industry.
I have been in this business for about four years now while my partner, Said, has grown up in the industry. It is one thing to be told how products are made but, quite another to see it in action. I learn something new everyday from both Said and in the trade, but I really wanted to know more. Specifically, I wanted to know how products are made from start to finish. In order to do this, I needed to do two things: order my own bespoke rug and observe the process. In this entry, you will read about my adventure to a small village in Eastern Turkey. Here, I watched and had hands-on experience making a hand-knotted rug.
Back To Basics
I traveled to a small village where expert artisans are trained and work to create rugs. When I arrived, the air smelled of a farm yet I saw no livestock anywhere, at the time. On subsequent days, I saw donkeys, horses, cows, chickens and baby chicks, everywhere I roamed. It was June, and blazing hot. It reminded me of my days in Arizona, years ago. The roads are narrow with slightly steep inclines.Thank goodness I was dropped off in a car as I would have hated to make the hike with all my belongings.
I was warmly welcomed by the local Hoca (pronounced hoh-jah meaning teacher). She had a sun-tanned but bright and happy face, which eased my nervousness. I felt as though this may be too much to take on but Hoca’s grin lifted that feeling. After a quick tour of her home, and showing me the space for my sleeping accommodations, I was off to learn.
The atelier where the weaving occurs is a three room building very near to the Hoca’s home. It was close enough to walk, but far enough to almost get a heat stroke in the summer months. There is a small counter where tea, snacks and meals are set. Immediately behind it are two giant looms. Two women sit side by side and work as a team weaving rugs. Everyone smiles and nods as I am introduced to them all. Just to the right of the two looms mentioned earlier, is another room where two more looms, and two more sets of team weavers sit, followed by a third room with one loom.
In three weeks time, I hoped to know enough to carry my knowledge home with me and potentially weave a rug on my own (fingers crossed)!
The Process Begins
My days began in the early morning each day. I rolled up my sleeves and anxiously awaited to see what I would learn. First things first though, watch. Just like the days observing my mother in her craft room, I watched every move my partners made. A design plan hangs over the loom (imagine paint by numbers), just above the plan is a row of all the yarns necessary to complete the rug. We sit on a bench together to allow the movement needed to slide across the length of the rug. Near to the dominant hand of the weaver, will also lay a metal weaver’s comb and the scissors for trimming. In the less dominant hand, the weaver will hold a small knife to cut the yarns after each knot. The tools needed to make a rug have changed very little since this weaving technique first began, but I am sure the quality time and discussion topics with one's partner certainly has!
I sit between two women on a short yet long bench. To my left, a woman knots at a steady and doable rate following the plan. She would glance up, occasionally to check for placement and continue knotting. To my right however, the fastest yarn slinger in the east [cue old timey western duel music]. She would seldom look up to check the plan, turn her head to chat with others around her, all while knotting at a dizzying speed. I felt like I was studying a new language with a fluent speaker that never slowed their speech for me to capture an understanding. I could only hope that with years of practice I would become as quick as her. But for now, slow and deliberate is my plan.
For the next twenty days, I watched, and made attempts at the new lessons learned. It took longer than I thought it would to get the hang of making the weft, in both directions. My knotting skills started out slow and hesitant but became more and more measured and confident. Trimming was a challenge. I hawkishly watched how each woman held the scissors as they trimmed with ease. There is no rhyme or reason to how they managed. I had to teach myself. If I were to apprentice a handicraft in Japan, it would be very similar. They explain nothing and you only learn through emulation. Acquiring the scissor skills required patience and much trial and error. I tried to use them as one would to cut a piece of paper or fabric. FAIL. I tried squeezing the handle harder. FAIL. I tried lightening my grip. FAIL. Then came my AHA moment. Push and squeeze the end and gently push the handle. Finally, a good and clean cut. No more assistance needed!
By the end of this trip, my confidence was brimming. I could truly explain how a rug is weaved from start to finish. I could describe the tools and how they are held and managed. I am by no means an expert as I am not as fast as the “intimidator” who knots faster than I can draw breath but, I am more sure of myself than when I arrived. I have an immense appreciation for the work that goes into making a rug and can robustly express what makes a rug beautiful and worth every penny.
Step One : Knotting
In this step, a weaver takes in the hand the appropriate color yarn to be knotted (looped) around the foundational warps already in place. The warp runs vertical to the loom. With one hand, the weaver takes some of the warp and manipulates the yarn around the back warp, then behind and around the front warp. This creates a knot that is pulled downward, and either cut or pulled hard enough to break at the right spot, depending on the type of yarn. This is carried on for the entire row, in all the colors required, according to the design plan.
Step Two: The Weft
Every rug requires a weft yarn. These yarns are used in order to secure the rows of knots that come before or after, depending on the progress of the weaving. The weft yarns run parallel to the floor and are banged into place, using the weaver’s comb, to compress the knots into place. This wefting process occurs below and above each knotted row. The wefts are not visible in the finished product, but are very necessary for the durability of the rug.
Step Three: Banging
When I say banging, I. Mean. Banging. Have you ever seen a child banging pots and lids? Can you hear that sound? It is like that, but less metallic and muted. The banging of the weft into place is carried out using a weaver’s comb.
There is a bit of weight to this tool, similar to a decent sized hammer. There are small teeth on the end making a comb, while the handle is short and smooth. This tool is held in the dominant hand and banged along the top of the weft yarns to smash them into place.
Step Four: Knot, again
A repeat of the Knotting described above.
Step Five: Weft, again
A repeat of the Weft described above.
Step Six: Bang some more
A repeat of Banging, described above.
Step Seven: Trimming
This step seems as though it would be obvious, but it is not quite so. Using these scissors is not anything like what we are all accustomed to. Your average scissors cut with the tip. Rug trimming scissors are the reverse. Hold the scissor in one hand, and using the other with the thumb, middle and forefinger to squeeze to close the blades and make the cut. The handles of the scissors with the dominant hand are being pushed away from you, but not squeezed. This use of the scissor is to trim off the excess yarn and create a solid pile.
Repeat!