Valley Yarns 40th Anniversary #11 Optical Twill Rug

Valley Yarns 40th Anniversary Optical Twill Rug

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns 40th Anniversary Optical Twill Rug is a handwoven homeware piece designed by Jason Collingwood in collaboration with WEBS and Valley Yarns. This finished rug measures 23 inches by 32 inches and creates a striking visual effect through the careful interplay of color and weave structure. The rug is a substantial weaving project suitable for experienced weavers seeking to create a functional and decorative textile for home use.

Weave Structure and Techniques

2/2 Twill Weave: The rug employs a 2/2 twill structure, a classic weaving pattern where two warp threads interlace with two weft threads in a diagonal progression. This structure creates the optical effect that gives the rug its name, with the diagonal lines forming a dynamic visual pattern across the finished piece.

Striped Design: The optical twill technique is enhanced through strategic color placement using striped patterns in the weft. The weaver alternates between Onyx and Jute-colored yarns to create visual interest and depth within the twill structure.

Floating Selvedges: The design incorporates floating selvedges at each edge—three ends on each side that are not threaded through heddles. These floating threads create clean, finished edges and are essential to the rug's structural integrity and appearance.

Equipment Required

• 4-shaft loom with a minimum weaving width of 36 inches (extra width accommodates the desired beat and yarn thickness)
• 8-dent reed for sleying the warp
• Two ski shuttles for weft insertion

Yarns and Materials

Warp Yarn: Valley Yarns 8/5 rug linen in natural color. This linen yarn provides strength and durability for the rug foundation, with 236 yards per 8.8-ounce tube. The project requires 316 yards of warp yarn.

Weft Yarns: Collingwood Rug Wool produced in collaboration between Valley Yarns and designer Jason Collingwood, at 900 yards per pound. The weft consists of two colors: 1,200 yards of Onyx and 600 yards of Jute. The weft is worked with three strands of rug wool wound together on each ski shuttle for proper density and beat.

Specifications and Sett

Warp Setup: 158 ends total, including 6 ends as floating selvedges (3 on each side). The warp measures 2 yards in length.

Warp Sett: 6 ends per inch (epi), achieved using a 2, skip, 1, skip repeat pattern in the 8-dent reed. This sett creates the proper density for the twill structure while allowing for the characteristic beat of a rug weave.

Weft Sett: Approximately 24 picks per inch (ppi). Each pick consists of three strands of rug wool wound together, creating a substantial, durable weft that produces the finished rug's dense, functional surface.

Reed Width: The rug is sleyed to 25½ inches in the reed, finishing to 23 inches wide in the completed rug.

Weaving Process

The weaver begins by winding a 2-yard warp of 158 ends and beaming it onto the loom while maintaining even tension. Threading follows the draft provided in the pattern, with 1,2 per heddle for the main warp, while the floating selvedges remain unthreaded. The warp is sleyed according to the pattern's sleying chart using the 2, skip, 1, skip repeat, with three ends for each floating selvedge in a single dent at each edge.

Weft insertion uses a treadle sequence that creates the 2/2 twill progression. The weaver alternates between treadles to raise different shaft combinations, throwing the shuttle across the full width on some picks and to marked threads on others. The technique involves splitting doubled threads at specific points to maintain the optical pattern integrity. Three strands of yarn are held together throughout weaving—one ski shuttle wound with Onyx and one with Jute—to achieve the proper weft density and visual effect.

This project represents a significant undertaking in rug weaving, combining technical skill with artistic design to produce a functional home textile that showcases the capabilities of handweaving and the quality of Valley Yarns materials.