Twined Rugs with Taaniko Stitch

Taaniko/twined practice mat with craft yarn.

To add a little more design to the stripes of a regular twined rug, I tried to incorporate taaniko. This seems to work best with soft light fabrics or those that scrunch up well. Thick fabrics or wide strips create bulges and bulky edges. I am learning. 

Taaniko/twined practice mats with craft yarn.

Bobbie Irwin's book (see introduction post) explains how to use taaniko in twined rugs. I figured out that it is best to do the taaniko portion first because it will push the warps out wider than the twined rows. If you do the widest parts first you can adjust your twined rows accordingly for a straighter edge.

Twined rug with taaniko heart made of
recycled cotton kimonos and clothes.

Large twined rug. Taaniko design and twined rows.
Recycled silk kimonos, polyester warp. (2240 x1680cm)

Recycled silk kimono fabric carpet.
Twined and taaniko pattern detail. (100 x 40cm)

Tree of life taaniko design on twined rug.
Recycled silk kimono fabric and synthetic silks. (110 x60cm)

Twined rug using taaniko weave for central design. 130cm x 70cm. Cotton sheet warp woven with old cotton curtains, tablecloth, yukata and silk kimono.

Taaniko stitch for checkerboard and square design, then twining for the rest. The salmon color is from a beautiful silk kimono with gold threads in the white parts; the gray is a men's yukata and blue is from a light woolen men's kimono.

Final size about 80 cm x 50 cm. Used heavy garden twine for the warp.

Introduction

There are many kinds of homemade rug methods. I've  found that twined rugs and toothbrush rugs are the best for using recycled clothes.

Re-purposing old kimonos, summer yukatas, favorite blankets or curtains into woven floor coverings allows us to utilize otherwise unusable items one more time before they become rubbish. When items are stained, torn or damaged or too outdated to be worn again, they are suitable for ripping into strips and twisting into rugs!

1. The first method I explored was rug hooking. I enjoyed this and tried to use some recyclable material but found that the backing cloth (rug warp or Monk's cloth) was expensive and the inconsistencies in the weights of my fabric scraps made it difficult to control. A rug hook tool and a fabric frame are also needed in this method.This method allows for maximum control over design and color.
   
2. The second method I tried was toothbrush weaving. This is very forgiving and makes good use of scraps. It requires no or very little investment or equipment. It is best for round and oval carpets with minimal design elements. You can have rings of color or use patterned cloth but otherwise, you don't have too much control over the design.
   
3. The third method, my favorite, is twining. A simple weaving technique that can be done on a makeshift loom that requires as much or as little investment as you wish. All kinds of materials can be used and by varying the angles of the stitches, controlling the length of the fabric strips or using taaniko weave, you have many more design possibilities.