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Equipment

Different tools are used in construction of a handmade rug. Some tools, such as looms, are an absolute necessity for all weavers, and other tools, such as hooks, are used by some weaving groups. Sometimes, different rug weaving areas use slightly different versions of the same tools. Some common tools used in rug weaving are vertical looms, horizontal looms, design plate, knife, scissors, spindle, hook and comb.

Vertical Loom

A loom is a frame which holds the rug together while it is being woven. Vertical looms are specific to village and workshop rugs, and their assembly is more complicated than horizontal looms. A vertical loom consists of four bars, two vertical side bars and two horizontal bars--one at the bottom, close to the ground, and one at the top. The warp strands are stretched between top and bottom bars. Rugs woven on vertical looms are more exact in dimensions and design. There are three different types of vertical looms although different versions of each type may exist: the Fixed Loom, the Tabriz or the Bunyan Loom, and the Roller Beam Loom.

Fixed Loom

On the Fixed Loom, the weaver sits on an adjustable seat in front of the loom. The seat is raised as the rows of knots are added.

Tabriz Loom

On the Tabriz or the Bunyan Loom, the warp strands are wrapped around and behind the top and bottom bars instead of being secured to them. On this loom, as the work progresses, the woven section of the rug is pulled down and behind the loom. This way, the weavers do not have to move. These looms are used in Iran in the Azerbaijan and also in Turkey.

Roller Beam Loom

On the Roller Beam Loom, the woven part of the rug is rolled around the lower beam. With this kind of loom, very large size rugs can be woven. This loom is the traditional loom used in villages of Turkey, Iran and India.

Horizontal Loom

Horizontal looms are the simplest type of loom. They are mostly used by nomads because they can easily be dismantled at the time of migration. Rugs woven on horizontal looms are generally small. Horizontal looms are constructed by four wooden bars similar to a frame. The distance between the two parallel side bars depends on the width of the rug to be woven on the loom, and the distance between the top and the bottom bars, determines the length of the rug. The bars are attached to the ground by stakes or nails. After the loom is constructed, the warp strands are stretched to the top and bottom bars. As the rug is woven and the rows of knots and wefts are added, the weavers sit on the woven part of the rug in order to reach the unwoven top parts.

Design Plate

Design plate is a colored drawing of a rug on graph paper which guides the weavers with both design and color. Usually each square represents a knot. For rugs that have symmetry in design, the plate usually illustrates one quarter of the rug. The plates are often drawn by famous artists and designers. Design plates are used in some villages and all workshops. The use of design plates helps make the design more exact

Knife

A knife is used for cutting the yarn after each knot is tied. In some areas a hook shaped knife is used to perform this function.

Spindle (Kulava)

Spindle is a rod used for spinning fibers into yarn.

Scissors (Qainchi)

Special scissors are used for cutting long and uneven pile after one or few rows of knots have been woven.

Comb (Kanghi)

After completion of a row of knots and passing a strand of weft through the warps, the weft strand and the row of knots are beaten with a special comb. The comb is moved up and down through the warp strands, pressing the weft strand on top of the knots securing the knots in place.

Hook

Hook is a knife-like tool that becomes very narrow on the tip. This tool has two purposes. The weavers use the tip for separating the warp strands while tying a knot and then pulling out the yarn through the warp strands. The side of the hook, which works like a knife, is used for cutting the yarn after each knot is tied.