What to consider when choosing yarn for your rugs

Throughout my career as a rug and tapestry weaver, I've often been asked- "what yarns should I be using for rug weaving?"

It’s a question I answer in depth in my Rug Weaving Online Course. But since the course won't start up again until the Spring, I thought I'd jump in and give you guys a quick overview here on the blog.

There's a huge variety of yarns available that are suitable for rug weaving, and different rug weavers have different preferences in the yarns they work with. Ultimately, the yarns you choose will depend on the type of rug you want to weave.

So when you come to gather the materials for your rug, here's what you should be considering.

Decide On Texture

Your first step when making a rug is to decide what texture you want it to have. Do you want it to be soft and luxurious, or firm under foot?

For a solid, sturdy rug, I usually opt to weave a flat-woven rug. In this type of rug-weaving, the weft yarn is packed down firmly over the warp. So the weft yarn itself needs to be quite firm and sturdy.

These yarns will also be exposed to friction whenever they are walked on. For this reason, you need to avoid softer, looser yarns which are in danger of pilling or wearing away completely.

Softer rugs, on the other hand, are usually made through tufting. This is done either with a tufting gun or with rows of rya knots. These rugs have lots of weft yarns packed densely together. This protects the individual strands, and so is suitable for softer yarns. However, while the yarn in the rug’s surface is under less friction, its are still liable to pill and shed. So it's best to avoid super-soft yarns.

At this stage of planning your rug, it's a good idea to order samples of your materials ahead of time, so you can feel the texture for yourself and think about how they will work on the floor.

Choose The Right Fibre

While you are deciding on the texture for your rug, it’s also a good idea to consider what fibre the weft and warp of your rug will be made from.

Some fibres are ideal for rug weaving. They are naturally dense and sturdy, and last for a very long time if properly cared for.

The fibres I recommend most for rug wefts are certain types of wool, and coarse plant fibres like sisal and hemp. Cotton rag yarn is also suitable for rug weft.

I don't recommend softer knitting or weaving yarns as a weft yarn. These are usually made from softer wools like merino or alpaca, plant fibres like linen and cotton or synthetic acrylic. Some of these are very durable, but they are often in danger of pilling when subjected to wear and tear on the floor.

For rug warp, I recommend coarse wools, cotton cord or specialist linen warp. Linen in particular is excellent as a rug warp, but prone to shedding when used as a weft.

In my own rugs, my ideal combination is a cotton or linen warp and Balfour & Co rug yarn for the weft. Our rug yarn is 80% pure wool and 20% nylon, giving it extra durability and longevity.

Avoid Yarn That's Too Loose Or Too Fine

Once you've found the right fibre, you then want to ensure that your yarn has been spun to the correct weight and twist. And the yarns to avoid are yarns that are too fine or too loose.

A thin, fine yarn will be very slow to weave with, and will put a lot of strain on the warp unless it’s woven with multiple strands at a time. A loosely- spun yarn will compress too much on the loom when you beat it down. It is also in danger of letting dirt and dust rub into the core of the yarn when it is underfoot.

The thinnest yarn I work with for a rug is the Balfour & Co hard-twist yarn, which can be as fine as 24 WPI. While this yarn is thin, it is very tightly spun. When you run it between your fingers it feels dense and hard, and it will hold its shape on the loom. The tight twist acts as a natural shield for the dirt and dust, which will brush off the surface of the yarn rather than sink in.

I would usually weave with 3-4 strands of this yarn for a rug, and 1-2 strands of the standard Balfour & Co rug yarn, which is approximately 13 WPI.

The Balfour & Co standard rug yarn is not as tightly spun as the hard twist, but it is still spun firmly and plied up from multiple strands. Again, dust and dirt brush off it rather than sinking in, and the coarse surface also prevents pilling.

Think About The Future Of Your Rug

Finally, when you are choosing a rug yarn, think about the future of your rug. Where will it be placed- a high-traffic area like a hallway or a more secluded part of your home? Will it be somewhere where it may get damp or dirty easily, like a kitchen or bathroom?

As a general rule, I recommend coarse wool and plant fibres for hallways and busy living areas. These rugs should be firmly woven from strong fibres that will not allow dirt to get into the weave structure and wear away at the fibres.

Bedrooms and sitting rooms are ideal locations for softer, tufted rugs. They should be gently cleaned on a regular basis to prevent dust build-up and deter moths.

For bathrooms and kitchens, I recommend rugs woven with cotton or other plant fibres, as these are easier to clean and less prone to shrinking when damp.

There is much more to say on the topic of yarns for rug weaving and I can’t possibly fit it all in one blog post! But I hope this is a good starting point, and helpful introduction to the process of choosing a rug yarn.

Here at Balfour & Co we've done our best to make it as easy as possible for you. Our rug yarn collections are specially designed with rug weaving in mind. Any rugs you create with them be durable and sturdy, and will last for many years to come.

And if you’re brand new to rug weaving, our in-depth online course Rug Weaving On An Upright Loom is beginning again soon! Find out more about the course here 👇🏻

Finally if you have any questions, comments or thoughts about this blog post or weaving in general, we’d love to hear them! Leave us a comment below or drop us an email at info@balfourand.co