Carpet map reading is one of the most important and accurate operations that should be considered in carpet weaving, because carpet map is a guide to carpet weaving and identifies the location of all knots and colors specific to them, and ultimately, creates the final design will come in the carpet and therefore if the weaver does not proceed according to the plan and does not have the necessary accuracy, the produced carpet will not be in accordance with the plan.

In the past, when there was no design, most carpet weavers used mental maps and weaved carpets without referring to the design, but with the growth of the printing industry, this mental method gave way to very detailed carpet designs. The use of computers, and the existence of the most accurate carpet design software, is provided digitally.

Read more: Handmade carpet designing (how to design + recognize its types)

In this article about  Farahan carpet, we will examine different methods of reading handmade carpets by carpet weavers.

What are the types of handmade carpet map reading methods?

1- The weaver should have the plan and weave the carpet by looking at it.

2- Another person, who is usually weaving himself, reads the pattern aloud and one or more other weavers tie it accordingly. This method is used when the carpet design is catchy and repetitive (one second, one quarter, one eighth, etc.)

In this method, a weaver who has the design reads the map aloud and weaves it himself, and the weaver or other weavers apply it similarly in another part of the carpet.

For example, if one-second, one-quarter, one-eighth, etc. designs are used and the design reader has the left part, while weaving, the weaver designs the knot from left to right. And the weaver on the right, knits the same knot from right to left on the looms so that they meet in the middle of the carpet. If duplicate patterns are used, both weavers untie their knots in the same direction.

3- Using a map reader computer: This machine helps the weaver to determine the required color for each knot, without reading the design. Of course, designs without dotted lines are an exception to this rule and color selection must be done by a skilled weaver.

The design acts as a treasure guide in carpet weaving and there are many benefits to using it, including:

1-Increased accuracy in weaving

2- use of various designs

3- easier weaving of designs for weavers

4- beauty and uniformity in carpet weaving, etc.

were mentioned.