Warp and weft: what are they? How do they influence the choice of a fine carpet?

Warp and weft are two fundamental components of the structure of hand-knotted carpets (. It is thanks to these elements that hand-knotted carpets are able to have so many qualities, such as durability, firmness, quality and beauty.

As a result, knowing more about the characteristics of warp and weft is a must for anyone approaching the world of luxury carpets or for those who simply want to know more.

What are warp and weft?

Warp and weft are the two most important elements that make up any carpet. The finished product is in fact the result of the interweaving of the threads that make up these two parts. It is the work of the craftsmen who create the carpet by knotting the coloured threads one by one around the raw structure of the carpet (the warp), creating original and beautiful patterns (the weft).

In particular, the warp can be considered a sort of skeleton of the carpet itself. To put it another way, it constitutes the base on which the actual artefact is then worked. What we see of the carpet, however, is essentially the weft, which is built right on top of the warp.

While all carpets have a weft, the appearance of which varies depending on the type of workmanship adopted, not all have a warp. In fact, in woven carpets, this element is sometimes absent altogether and the weft is created by weaving the different threads together.

The presence of warp and weft is essential in hand-knotted carpets and influences not only their appearance, but also their thickness, weight and firmness. Depending on the material from which the warp is made, the way the threads are knotted and the size of the fibres used for the skeleton of the individual artefact, the finished product may be thicker or thinner.

The processing and quality of the fibres used for warp and weft also affect the strength of the product. Which is? The tighter the structure, the more solid and durable the piece will be.

Everything you need to know about warp

When creating a carpet, the first thing to do is to prepare the warp itself. This means, first of all, selecting the threads that will be used and then arranging them vertically on the loom on which the textile will be made.

Cotton or wool threads are generally used for the warp, but many other materials can potentially be used. The important thing is that they are strong fibres, not too heavy, durable and strong enough to withstand thousands or millions of knots.

In most cases, the warp is not visible in the straight side of the carpet, but only on the reverse side. Sometimes, however, its ends are left visible. We speak, in this case, of fringes. One may choose to leave the fringes in their original appearance and, therefore, have the threads untied from each other. Alternatively, you can choose to weave the threads together or wrap them in pairs.

What do you need to know about the weave of a carpet?

When discussing the appearance of a carpet or its design, the element we focus on is the weft. This part of the artefact is handcrafted by knotting the coloured threads onto the warp fibres.

In knotted carpets, the fibres are processed differently depending on the area of production. In Persian carpets, an asymmetrical type of knot is predominantly used, which gives the piece greater flexibility. Carpets of Turkish origin, on the other hand, are usually made with a symmetrical knot, resulting in a piece that is both stronger and thicker.

In both Persian and Turkish knots, the knot is made by passing the fibres between one or two warp threads. When, on the other hand, the weft threads are knotted on four warp threads, this is called a jufti knot. In this case, the carpet will be less compact, but quicker to make.

The final result achievable varies depending on many different factors. Among the main ones to take into consideration are the size of the carpet to be made, the thickness of the fibre used to create the individual piece and the strength with which the fibres are knotted to the warp.

Some final tips on warp and weft

Visually analysing the warp and weft is important not only to choose the carpet that has the ideal design for your furniture project, but also to assess the quality of the specific piece.

In particular, depending on the complexity of the chosen design, the weft may appear very simple and linear or rich in detail. It should also be borne in mind that the presence of precise workmanship, any small imperfections due to the craftsmanship of production and the density of the knots are all factors on the basis of which the quality and value of the carpet can be deduced.

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