Italian Fashion Research

As I get back to the Wheel of Fortune rug, I was curios about just what was ‘weaving Italian fashion’. The draft and instructions I am using are from The Weaver’s Journal, Vol. IV, Issue 16, April 1980. It says that three shuttles are needed with one as the dominant color. While using an overshot draft the color order changes as the rug progresses.

According to Osma Gallinger Tod and his The Joy of Handweaving “weaving in the Italian manner is not recommended for rugs”. But he does say it is ‘particularly interesting in Patterns of the modern style.” As this book is copyright 1964, I wonder what he would think about our 2012  ‘modern styles’?

Mary Black says in her New Key To Weaving book that flame point and the Italian method are very similar. “The main difference is that flame point has four blocks, each of a different color, while the Italian method has only three colors. “ She goes on to say that the color order remains the same. This draft that I am using has me throw the dominate color (green) to start a block and to end a block. (So I have two picks of green together.) 

No matter how you slice it, the weaving is slow going with three shuttles and three colors to keep track of. So I am off to weave a few inches.