Moroccan Rug Weaving Techniques

Background

• Rugs in Morocco were originally handmade by the females in the Berber tribe, but today there are men who practice the weaving techniques. Woolen yarns were the traditional material used, but contemporary Berber rugs can include synthetic yarns, such as olefin and nylon. The rug construction uses a knotted pile, which produces a flat-patterned rug. The rug's weaving techniques are what help make Berber styles of rugs durable for high-traffic areas.

Warp Yarns

• Ethnic rugs, like the Berber rugs tend to be constructed on a vertical loom, also known as the warp-weight loop, which existed since the Neolithic era. What makes this loom unique is the weights that are located at the bottom, which help to keep the vertical hanging warp thread taut. In Berber rugs, additional threads are wound around these warp weights so as the weaver reaches the bottom, the completed sections can be rolled up and he can continue working. Thus, the loom and this weaving technique allow the weaver to construct longer area rugs.

Knotting Technique

• The knotting technique used by the Berber tribe differs from the other knotted piles. Rugs found in other parts of Northern Africa and the Middle East use the Turkish or "Gördes" knot. This technique loops around one warp yarn, crosses over to the adjacent yarn and loops around it, and so on. The Berber knotting technique is more intricate, as it forms almost a "figure 8" around two neighboring warp yarns. The weft is looped around the two yarns and knotted, before looping around the same two yarns again, and continuing to the next two yarns. The result is a tighter, sturdier weave construction.

Color Patterns

• The weft yarn is what gives the dyed thread that gives the Berber carpet its pattern, as the vertical warp yarn is usually not dyed. More than one color weft yarn can be used at a time, to produce the geographic motifs, such as birds, flowers, mountains and leaves. Row by row, as the weft yarn is introduced and woven and knotted, the pattern is produced. And as each row is completed, a special comb is used to go in between each warp yarn to pat each row down. Once the rug is removed from the loom, the weft yarns are tied together two by two. The excess yarns are trimmed and the woven carpet is brushed.