old Teke knot count

[Konstantin Lapochkin Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Konstantin Lapochkin]

Silly question I know. Could you please help me with know count on my new presumably 1920' teke. It is a room size piece (340 cm to 240 cm) and it is relatively tight.

[Chuck Wagner Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Chuck Wagner]

Konstantin,

An instructive image from an old thread:



Regards
Chuck

[Joe Lawrence Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Joe Lawrence]

First off, there is never a silly question. Concerning knot counting, for me, it’s easier to count by the inch (KPSI) then convert it to KPSD. The key is to know how to count the knots and not double up on one knot that may look like two. Look on the back of the rug and find one solo color/knot. This will be counted as one knot vertically in the picture because the two loops of the brown wool wrapping around the weft is one knot. Look at Chucks picture. Counting horizontally, you would count each single loop as one knot. Vertical x horizontal will give you a knot count. It’s best to do it 3 times in different places for accuracy.

You can find the knot rulers on Amazon and the ones that are marked one inch are the easiest. I don’t care for just the lines or ones that are 3/4”.

Conversion scale: Your total count of KSPI x 15.5 equals the KPSD.

[Joe Lawrence Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Joe Lawrence]

Using your picture as an example, there are 7 knots vertically and 6 horizontally. This is an easy example due to the colors of single knots. Your total knot count in this one picture would be 7x6 =42.

[Phil Smythe Member Find all posts View Profile Close Phil Smythe]

Hello gents,

Maybe I am missing something here but it appears Joe has uncharacteristically gotten something (no doubt unintentionally) wrong in his knot counting description.

First off, there is never a silly question. Concerning knot counting, for me, it’s easier to count by the inch (KPSI) then convert it to KPSD. The key is to know how to count the knots and not double up on one knot that may look like two. Look on the back of the rug and find one solo color/knot. This will be counted as one knot vertically in the picture because the two loops of the brown wool wrapping around the weft is one knot. Look at Chucks picture. Counting horizontally, you would count each single loop as one knot. Vertical x horizontal will give you a knot count. It’s best to do it 3 times in different places for accuracy.

Re the sentence I have highlighted, as we know (the) knots are wrapped around the warps not the wefts. But the image you posted Konstantin is orientated 'incorrectly' as it were, that is you have the photo with the warps in the horizontal axis (and Joe has left his example the same when describing the counting process, hence his 'misspeaking' I assume).

Below is how I believe the rug (and photo) should be orientated in front of you when counting knots (same as in Chuck's example).

That is, when counting knots one should always have the rug laying in front of you orientated the way the weaver wove it (warps vertical / wefts horizontal), or at least have the warps on the vertical axis in photos, not try to count with the rug sideways as it were (with the warps laying on the horizontal axis)

Anyway, just saying so if your new to counting knots Konstantin you don't get off on the wrong foot .

[Joe Lawrence Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Joe Lawrence]

Phil, great clarification. Yes, my obvious mistake on saying weft instead of warp. Using a small phone trying to hurry has its disadvantages. I was trying to use the pic provided as a reference and yes you are correct on the normal orientation of the rug when counting.