Mary Ostler

Did some more experimenting with the Turkish rug project.

I was having trouble trying to get the same number of knots on the warp compared to the weft. I decided to tie the knot around doubled up warp threads. It worked very well as for the first time I have matching knot counts.

I also tried this sample with a woven salvage edge. If the edge was starting to curve a bit on one side of the sample I could just do an extra wrap and the warp treads between rows forced the drooping side to even out. I also tried cutting the pile down very low right from the first row. It makes it so much easier to deal with cutting down the pile later. The grid like pattern from Holbein’s “ambassadors” finally looks like what I am getting from the samples. everything is nice and square. Happy. I have decided to do the Persian knot rather than the Turkish. It just makes for a nicer square pixel.

I also tried out a different parttern from the rug. A repeating found in the border near the edge of the carpet.

For this sample I tried to use three warp threads separating the rows. It didn’t cinch down the same, and the knots pattern went to 8weft x 6.5 warp.

Next trying to figure out how the repeating pattern connects in the corner as it is not shown in the painting. Still thinking on the center panel. I will have to make a complete random guess as nothing else seems to fit this rug pattern.

***possible corner cartoon***

n a very happy note, my dad made me my birthday present a couple of weeks early. Using an old propane tank that can no longer be legally filled, a pressure gauge, valve, and some old hose (and one purchased air nosel), he has made me a portable air cylinder. I don’t have a need for a full air compressor, but some times it is nice to be able to blow out all the wood dust from machine parts.

woot.