Flat-weaving
A flat-woven carpet is made up of only the warp and the weft, which carries the motif. This is the reason why kilims – the flat-woven carpet by excellence – have a flat surface. The weft yarn is generally finer and more loosely spun, allowing it to be packed down, making for a ‘weft-faced design’. Much less common is a ‘warp-faced’ design where the warp hides the weft. These types of carpets quicker to make and are for everyday use. It is possible to find flat and pile weaving in the same carpet.
Slit tapestry
The warp must be very resistant, especially to stretching – as the weaving process can take years to complete. Two or three strands of undyed natural yarn are plied together to form each line of warp. The yarn is painstakingly wrapped around the top and bottom beams of the loom until there is a working surface wide enough, that is evenly spaced out, and where tension is equally distributed. Once the warping starts, it must be continued until finished or there are likely to be inaccuracies in the final design. The distance between the strands of warp will determine how detailed the final carpet will appear.
Weft-wrapping
This flat weave technique also known as ‘soumak’ is sometimes referred to as ‘weft-float-brocading’. Soumak could be the entire fabric of a carpet or make up only parts of one – as additional texture on kilims or the ends of pile carpets. The weft passes over two or four warps before passing under one or two, then travels forward again. This pattern creates an oblique ‘stitch’, which may slope up or down and can have the appearance of embroidered chain stitch. A thinner weft is woven below the surface weft so as to prevent the soumak from becoming too loose.