Mary Ostler » Turkish Carpet http://www.maryostler.com Elizabethan Wood Butcher & Builder of Things Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:15:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 en hourly 1 Turkish Carpet Project v1.7 Finished Cartoon http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/turkish-carpet-project-v1-7-finished-cartoon/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/turkish-carpet-project-v1-7-finished-cartoon/#comments Mon, 12 Jul 2010 04:46:03 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=2293 My fingers feel like the are going to snap like a twig, but I managed to finish the rug cartoon in the last week.

Thats it…

]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/turkish-carpet-project-v1-7-finished-cartoon/feed/ 0 Turkish Rug project v1.6 a Looming I Will Go http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/turkish-rug-project-v1-6-a-looming-i-will-go/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/turkish-rug-project-v1-6-a-looming-i-will-go/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:11:40 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=2280 The project has been at a bit of a stand still as off late. The main hold up was the loom. I have been pulling out my hair trying to find either an image or a decent description of a near eastern rug loom in period. The closest I could find were a few images from the 1800’s in the V&A.

I had originally decided to make a tabriz loom for the carpet. Its a style that allows you to spool the rug around to the back side of the loom. This allows you to make a carpet just shy of double the front side of the loom. This one seems to be the most common in modern pictures of rug looms. Yet the image above shows a loom that has the warps attached to a set of rollers. This allows for the making of rugs of almost unlimited lengths.

So yesterday while doing a weekly troll of the local Craiglist I found someone selling a Leclerc Tissrat Tapestry loom for a decent price. Tapestry looms come up rarely, and this is one of the nicest I have seen. I made a trip out to the deepest darkest depths of Surrey to check out the loom. It came home with me.

Its big enough to fill a goodly portion of my bedroom. Score.

So I have the loom, now on to deciding on the wool I will need.

I heart the V&A museum. They not only have a fantastic collection… they have taken the time to actually analyse what their carpets where made of in great details, and then added that data to the web entries. I gathered all the carpets they have listings for pre-1600 and made a database to make it easier to decipher.

V&A pre-1600 Carpet material Database

I also found a reference to having colored warp threads on some carpets  that denoted where the flat weave edge should begin. I think I will use this method to not only show where to do the flat weave, but to also show where the borders should run.

** Next task…. Figure out exactly what kind of wool I need to buy for the warp threads. This is the kind of textile stuff I start to get confused with.

]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/turkish-rug-project-v1-6-a-looming-i-will-go/feed/ 0 Good Weekend http://www.maryostler.com/2010/04/good-weekend/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/04/good-weekend/#comments Tue, 06 Apr 2010 04:00:44 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=1976 Well the verdict on this weekend is in, and it was 4 kinds of goodness. Friday & Saturday I got to hangout with Agnes and some of the aprenti. It was a two day work on A&S stuff gabfest. I got a start on the final carpet cartoon, the wooden board games in the barony’s collection have been labeled and given inventory numbers, I assembled my Mom’s grandfather clock, got four more eric stands completed, and the designing for the Turkish folding table and the combat archery blunderbuss have gotten underway. The only down side to the weekend was I ended up quiting a project I was involved with, and have disappointed some people. It was like ripping off a band-aid, I expect it to hurt but it had to happen.

I turned a bunch of the eric stand tops and then painted them with red oxide mixed with linseed oil.

The final cartoon is coming along. I took all the things that were wrong with the first draft and used it to work out the kinks on this version. My hands are in severe trauma over all the coloring this weekend.

]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/04/good-weekend/feed/ 2 Daffodil Carpet Sample http://www.maryostler.com/2010/03/daffodil-carpet-sample/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/03/daffodil-carpet-sample/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:33:23 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=1867 I got to go to Daffodil Tourney this year. I’ll be posting soon about the annual Seagirtian event, but I thought I do a quick post on my entry into the A&S tourney.

The contest was “items inspired in some way by the theme “daffodil”. Since I only decided to go to the event the weekend before, I decided to do a quick carpet sample piece. The daffodil design is from a blanket I found online. It was a grid pattern so it adapted well. The tourney is in its 33 year, and my heraldic obsession & mascot is the turnip named Ash.  Design done, I warped up the porto-loom with  52 threads (4 threads for the bound edges each side, and 22 sets of threads for the knots). I should have done the sides in a different color, as they just blend with the knots right now.

I still am having some issues with the edge binding. Will be working on that in my next mini project.

The weft threads were cotton sewing thread (2 shoots).

I had every color I needed except a nice yellow. The gold wool I had just didn’t seem right. I did two skeins of wool. One pre-mordant in alum, and one with no mordant. The dye stuff is Turmeric and its 100%wof. ( I think you could use a lot less considering the amount of slug on the bottom of the pot. I also added 1 tbs of vinegar to try to get it brighter yellow.

Cooked it at a low heat for 30minutes.

The large skein is the pre-mordant Alum one, the one on the right on mordant. The color is just about the same.

I feel kind of stupid though. So many of these A&S things are little throw away things put in place for something to do while the fighters fight. I didn’t document it at all. I had the cartoon for the design and a few notes jotted down in pencil. Well four judges sat down with principality A&S judging forms, and the judging was pretty bad. They all seemed to like what I had did alot, but the lack of documentation was noted down ALOT….

I hunted down the organizer to thank her and the judges, and apologized for wasting their time. No Documentation… Bad Apprentice… No Cookie for You!

]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/03/daffodil-carpet-sample/feed/ 0 Turkish Carpet Project v1.5 ~ More Cartoons http://www.maryostler.com/2010/03/turkish-carpet-project-v1-5-more-cartoons/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/03/turkish-carpet-project-v1-5-more-cartoons/#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:29:41 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=1817 I was asked how the cartoon was coming. The answer… Slowly!

I will be starting a whole new cartoon soon, as this first one was just to work out some pattern issues. The first problem being the lack of a middle section in the original painting., Thanks to a suggestion from Mistress Agnes, I have decided to try  filling it with repeating element from the black border section.

Second issue is filling the strange flattened triangle sections that are part of the centers border. Maybe a squidy Cthuhulu like pattern.

The inner portion of the carpet has to be shrunk by 4 knots the whole way around, This is easily done as there is a 2 knot deep border that doesn’t affect any of the complex pattern bits.

This is a computer cut & paste model of what the carpet will look like when done.

I also started doing the math. There will be ~ 132,000 knots in the carpet (not including selvage and start/ end flat weave sections). Each knot using ~ 2″ of wool which works out to 21,933 feet of wool (7311 yd. / 6685 m.)

Still looking for middle eastern / turkish looms in period, and type of wool, and dye stuff.

Fun & Stuff & Things.

]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/03/turkish-carpet-project-v1-5-more-cartoons/feed/ 3 Turkish Carpet Project ~ Turkmen Tent Band http://www.maryostler.com/2010/03/turkish-carpet-project-turkmen-tent-band/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/03/turkish-carpet-project-turkmen-tent-band/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:12:09 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=1798 While researching  the Turkish Carpet Project, I found an interesting sub section of the carpet weavers. Turkmen Tent bands are straps that go around the outside of Yurt like dwellings. They are partially knotted just like Turkish carpets but with backgrounds of plain weave. The majority are symmetrical knots but…heres the kicker… The knots happen on the open upper shed. This makes for a jagged edge to the patterns, and a pattern on the back side of the band is obscured.

I made a quick sample to try out the style. The first few wefts were done with the same sized crochet cotton as the warp threads. This caused problems when the knotted sections were incorporated.  The knots were keeping the sheds open instead of cinching down on the weft thread. Once I changed the weft to the same sized yarn as the knots, the problem went away. The knots also had to be at least one double warp in from the edge, otherwise the threads pull free.

The open shed knotting seems to be even more tedious than the normal method. I will have to do some more reading to see if there is a specific reason for knotting the bands in this manner.

]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/03/turkish-carpet-project-turkmen-tent-band/feed/ 2 Turkish Carpet v1.4 Cartoon Time http://www.maryostler.com/2010/02/turkish-carpet-v1-4-cartoon-time/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/02/turkish-carpet-v1-4-cartoon-time/#comments Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:53:20 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=1737 I have been puzzeling over what the center elelment on the Holbein carpet should be. I think the problem I have had is I have no idea what the size I have to fill is. That means I have to start the cartoon. This may not end up being the final cartoon as I have to match the patterns on the different borders. The center element can be stretched, and the outside corner piece can be stretched or shrunk. Its the black circular pattern on the inside border that has to work out to match evenly.

The way its working out, I suspect the finished carpet will be somewhere around the 2.5ft wide to 4 feet long. The painting has two central panels, but I have chosen to do the single central panel. All the coolness, and half the knotting.

I also did a bit more work on some sample pieces. The grey element on the right represents the color in the painting that I can just barley see. I still am not sure if its dark blue, grey….or a brighter color that has darkened over the last 400 years. I really do not know much about paint color changes in renaissance painting.

A shot of the back side. You can tell on the red & white central pattern that the three warp threads caused problems with stretching out the pattern. The grey thread on this sample is wool, unlike the other colors. It makes for a smother field on the front side. The acrylic wool tend to keep to itself causing an effect that looks a bit more like the ambassadors painting. The final project will be in wool, so I will have to think on whats causing it. Perhaps if I cut the pile down even lower the grid would be more obvious.

]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/02/turkish-carpet-v1-4-cartoon-time/feed/ 0 Turkish Carpet Project v1.3 http://www.maryostler.com/2010/02/turkish-carpet-project-v1-3/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/02/turkish-carpet-project-v1-3/#comments Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:43:41 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=1725 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.

]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/02/turkish-carpet-project-v1-3/feed/ 0 Turkish Carpet Project v1.2 http://www.maryostler.com/2010/01/turkish-carpet-project-v1-2/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/01/turkish-carpet-project-v1-2/#comments Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:05:31 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=1679 *** Yoinked from my other blog ***

I tried out another sample for the Turkish carpet project.  This time I tried using the Persian knot. It goes faster than the Turkish knot, but it doesn’t tighten up the same way. In fact it seems really loose until you weave the thread between the rows.  I think the Turkish knot leaves a more square look to the final product, and the ambassador painting has a grid feeling about it.

I also chose to do a full element from the holbien rug. This way I can roughly compare size to the original painting. From knuckle to finger tip is approx. half of the circular element, which is just about the same size as

The thing I also learned from the larger sample, was just how important the tension especially at the sides of the warp is. I tightened up the left side way to much. I didn’t really see the problam til I was a fair way in. I think part of the problem was the new loom I made for the sample. The cropped image is from the highest DPI image I could find, and cropping and zooming elements has shown a darker color, but most surely not black. I havent seen mention of charcoal colors or dark greys, so I am wondering if its a blue that has just changed color over time. I don’t know much about paint colors and stuff ,so more stuff to research.

It is basically two sticks with some readi-thread at each end. This way when I stringed the loom I kept an even thread EPI, much like a reed on a normal loom does.

I also found a secondary image painted by Holbein, that has a carpet that is very similar in style to the ambassador carpet. It gives some clues for the edging around the center medallion.

Now I have to figure out what the center medallion will look like. I have found a data base of pre-1600 carpets in art, and it is giving me some ideas, but still not happy.

I also would kill to find an image of pre-1600 carpet weavers in art. I want to make an accurate loom if I can, but its all specualtion at this point.

Also have to play around with types of wool, and dyes used in turkey to try to duplicate the colors in Holbeins paintings.

More research

]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/01/turkish-carpet-project-v1-2/feed/ 0 Turkish Carpet Project v1.1 http://www.maryostler.com/2010/01/turkish-carpet-project-v1-1/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/01/turkish-carpet-project-v1-1/#comments Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:01:27 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=1676 *** Yoinked from my other blog ***

The first sample had a knot grouping of  14×6 knots per inch. That produces a rectangular pattern.

After a suggestion from myss_minx on replacing the weft crochet threads with fine thread, and spreading the warp threads slightly,  I have gotten a pattern of 12×9 knots per inch. Still not completely happy. Would like to get the row count higher. Thinking of unraveling the three ply and using two ply to see what effect that has.

Made a quick cartoon of some of the patterns on Holbein’s painting Ambassadors.

My sample is copied somewhat from the corner insert latice section.

12×9 back saide

Front side. The individual pixels are just about square.

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