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Glossary/WarpTechnique

Warp

The vertical foundation threads stretched on the loom before the weaving begins. Everything else is built around them.

Definition

Warp threads run lengthwise on the loom, under tension from top to bottom. They are the structural skeleton of the textile. In pile-knotted rugs, knots are tied around the warp threads; in flatweaves, weft threads pass over and under them to build the fabric.

Warp material in Moroccan Amazigh weaving is typically cotton or wool. Cotton warps are dimensionally more stable, less likely to stretch or distort over time. Wool warps are more elastic. The warp material is listed in piece specifications at Tilwen where known.

Why it matters for buying
Warp material is a quality indicator. A cotton warp in a flatweave kilim requires more preparation than a wool warp and produces a more stable finished textile. A sign of careful construction.
Related Terms
WeftThe horizontal threads that pass over and under the warp to build the fabric. In a kilim, the weft is the pattern. In a pile rug, it locks each row of knots in place.KilimA flatweave with no pile. The weft threads carry the pattern and the structure at the same time. What you see is what the weaver decided, row by row.FlatweaveAny woven textile without pile. Flat, reversible, lighter than a pile rug of the same size. Made from a single decision repeated thousands of times.Pile-KnottedIndividual wool knots tied around warp threads, row by row, then clipped. The surface is warm underfoot, acoustically dense, and slow to make.Warp-facedWarp threads cover the weft and carry the pattern. Common in Saharan tent bands and woven belts rather than floor rugs.
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