Unlike most schools, which have two semesters per school year, RISD has three – a fall semester, a spring semester, and something called Wintersession. This is a short six-week period where students are only allowed to take one class. Additionally, there are no department restrictions so it is a chance to take classes outside of any given person’s particular major. My class this term is titled The Woven Rug and it is basically exactly that. We spent the first day setting up the looms which, it turns out, is quite a process.
It took about four hours before anyone was even ready to start weaving. The loom may be complicated, but once everything is in the proper place the weaving process is fairly straightforward. To get acquainted with the process the class has been practicing various patterns and techniques.
Our options fall into three basic categories – weave, tapestry, and pile. Pile is similar to the carpet or rugs many of you probably own and is characterized by cut yarns packed tightly together. In contrast, the basic weave is flat and tight, with the yarns laying down horizontally. Tapestry is a technique for incorporating pattern or image into the basic weave. I have just begun to feel comfortable using all of the techniques so I am looking forward to trying some different materials this next week, such as fabric, rubber, and paper.
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