This is a journey of a rug from start to finish
started February 2014

multi_bumps_fibre_carder

We'll start here.....
Carding the alpaca fibre
I've selected a variety of bits & pieces of roving ends
to go thru the carder to make multi coloured bumps
which shall be used to spin up into singles & the navajo plied,
on my Ashford Country Spinner, for my rug yarn.




multi_bumps_fibre_carder_2multi_bump_winding


Here, we see the rovings being fed onto the bump winder to form the centre-pull multi coloured bump.









multi_bumps_closeup
    The resultant bump - notice the different shades









Now for spinning.....


spinning_singles
                                                       

 Here is my Country Spinner - fabulous for rug yarn.
                                                       
spinning_singles_2
       I am spinning singles to be later plied to my rug yarn









After I have spun up enough singles, I then ball wind them by hand to be plied Navajo style into my rug yarn.


spinning_singles_ball_wound


Navajo Plying can now begin.
This is a means of keeping all if the variations of colour nice & separate as it is plied.
By only using the one strand & looping, the colours stay in line & not blended.
navajo_plying_closeup


navajo_plying_closeup_3

yarn_piles_bison
yarn_piles__bison_closeup_2



















See how the colours stay the same resulting in good lengths of one colour, & then graduating onto another.













Weaving
Now we have the basis of our rug yarn.
Trial pieces will now be woven on my Ashford 8 shaft table loom. 
This is done to decide on the correct sett and style of weaving.
The loom is threaded in straight 1,2,3,4 at 4 doubled ends per inch.
I have chosen Basket Weave which is 1,2 then 3,4. I insert the colour at each lift.

ashford_trial_piece


Now that I am happy with the trial piece, I can now start winding the warp for the actual rug.
This will be woven on my 8 shaft Sheridan Floor Loom.

Winding the Warp
warping_frame


warpingWinding a linen warp 2.5m long


warping_frame_cross_detail



Onto the LOOM....


loom_with_warp_chains_2

Here we have the 4 sets of warp chains ready to thread



loom_with_warp_spreading



Rear view showing spreading the warp
evenly with the lease sticks in place



loom_with_warp_back_raddle


With the raddle in place, I wind the warp
onto the back beam.
 I can now start to thread the heddles
















here we have the groups of doubled warp ends
threaded through the heddles and ready to thread
through the reed and tie off to the front beam.


loom_with_warp_tied_on

















loom_with_warp_tied_on_back_view

This is the back view of the loom with the warp all threaded and tensioned





Weaving can now begin...loom_with_starter


weaving_bubbling_weft
This is the first few inches - note the weft bubbling to avoid draw-in
Also notice the white temple (at rest for the photo) This keeps the edges nice & neat.
We'll see this more later on.
weaving_closeup_shuttle
Closeup of the stick shuttle going under the warp ends where the
colour appears



10" so far
All good.
Nice easy weaving
in design-as-you-go
style.








Fast forward in time - its now 28th August 2014
and the rug is now ready to take off the loom and finish the ends off.   

The edge of the rug is finished off using the Taniko method as shown in Peter Collingwood's 
Techniques of Rug Weaving Book. This uses extra yarn, twined around the warp ends.
The warp ends are then sewn back into the rug creating a neat and durable finish. 

rug_finishing2



The finished RUG - 
all ready to go to the AAA National Show & Sale 
Craft Section

rug_finished_1

 
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