During a recent visit to Armenia I went to a carpet workshop on the outskirts of Yerevan. The carpets are all hand-woven and hand-knotted. I was curious to see how they are made. Here are some of the pictures I took...
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The warp is thick cotton yarn. The weft is dyed wool. You can see bunches of dyed weft hanging above the weavers. At eye level the weavers have a printout of the design they are creating.
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The difference between a Persian and an Armenian rug is the way in which the weft is 'knotted' to the warp. In Armenian carpet weaving they use a Geordez or double-knot, whereas in Persian carpets it is a Sehna or single-knot. Either way, unlike in fabric weaving the weft is not one continuous thread. After each knot they cut the weft with the hook/knife. In the bottom right image you can see a fresh line of knotted weft.
 | In between the lines of knotted weft they weave a single thread of cotton to strengthen the structure of the carpet. |
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After they have completed a line of weft they make use of kind of steel comb to hammer it all down, so it sits tightly on top of the previous line.
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It's then time to cut off the excess weft and reveal a new line of 'knots'.
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Once the carpet has been fully woven and knotted, they use a scraper to remove any lint.
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 | To ensure a smooth and even finish they run a couple of electric razors over it. |
