Tablet Weaving and Ply-Splitting Books, Tools & Kits
Ply-Split Rug "Blue Interlacements" by Linda Hendrickson
The first photo shows the rug in 2008 when just finished. The second photo shows the rug in 2016, after 7 years as our bathroom rug, and Wolfie just after his bath!
Completed in Spring 2008, this is the first rug I've made using my new idea of lining up all the dark cords parallel to each other in the vertical direction, and then adding all the light cords, one-by-one, in the horizontal direction, following a pattern graph.
The exciting thing about this is that every crossing involves a light and a dark cord, so every splitting can make either dark or light show. Theoretically, any design that can be graphed on square graph paper can be created with the technique. However, distortion needs to be kept in mind, so there are some limitations as to what will actually look good.
I made this rug using 60 dark cords in the lengthwise direction, and 126 light cords in the crosswise direction. I graphed the design in Excel. I strung all of the dark cords on a bamboo pole, centering each cord as I added it, and started working in the middle of the rug. I removed the pole once I had worked enough rows to keep everything in place. I worked to one end, and then from the middle to the other end. Also, as I added each cord, I centered it, and then worked from the center to one edge, and then from the center to the other edge. Because of the size of the rug, I found it was easier to learn to ply-split left-handed when necessary than to turn it over. But it was easy to carry around the house, and I could sit down wherever I wanted and work on it.
I finished the rug by pulling each cord back into the rug through six cords, in the same space occupied by the cord next to it, and then clipped the ends. At each corner, this was impossible, so the cords in the corners are pulled together to make a tassel. I found this finishing process much more satisfying than wrapping each cord, and this method also makes a very firm edge to the rug which will keep it flat on the floor.
The rug is approximately 17" x 44", not including the tassels.
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This page created in 2008 and updated March 8,2016.