Guest Author - Iris ten Holder

In a previous article I explored the planet earth theme. This theme focused on several basic elements of our planet. I chose oceans, soil, vegetation, sky, light and sun. By choosing different elements or concentrating on a smaller set we come again to a different set of colors. We could be inspired by the Amazon rain forest with its lush greens. We could add other elements such as small glimpses of colorful birds. Some research and some photos will help to define the idea to the point that we feel we have captured the essence.

Another view of a forest might include dark lines for the tree trunks and some blue shades where the sky is visible. In this case the depth of the forest would be concentrated in the center of the rug while at the outer rim the blue patches could come into play.

To place specific colors within the design, it helps to know how these rugs are constructed. The rug is composed of about 12 equal wedge-shaped sections. Towards the end of each segment towards the outer edge of the rug the rows get smaller. This is the ideal place for smaller patches of a contrasting color. Larger color areas would be placed at the beginning of a section when the rows are long.

Now change the vision to autumn and change the colors accordingly. We could leave out the sky and instead use these small areas for yellow color patches, while mixing the reds and the greens in the larger areas.

Here I would like to add another element; that is, the effect achieved by using two threads of a different color. This is helpful in creating muted shades and transitions from one color to another. Using different tones of the same color creates a velvet-like effect, while using different colors produces a tweed-like effect.

For the forest this is particularly suitable as it allows us to give the shadings of reds and greens. The threads need not be of equal weight as long as the combined thickness is more or less equal throughout the rug. Up to four threads can be combined. Obtain solid colors by combining threads of the same color.

Designing can be fun. The most important step is to start with a clear idea.

Find a theme
Find the colors
Find the proportion of the colors in the overall theme.
Then compose a rug based on these proportions.