Creating Patterned Fabric

Typically, two women work on the navoi. One unwinds the threads onto the warp (erish) of the fabric, while the other picks up each thread and secures it in the heddle. When winding the warp, the artisans consider the width, pattern, and color of the product. When creating patterned fabric, the threads are counted precisely. Therefore, the winding of the warp is one of the critical stages in patterned weaving.

After winding and, consequently, creating the heddles, the warp threads are stretched and secured on stakes driven into the ground. The warp forms two rows. On the stretched warp, an expander (sherik) is created: the warp threads are stretched slightly wider than the future woven strip and gathered at the separator with a woolen thread into loops (sherik baylooch). A board ("takta"), lying between the heddles and the expander, helps change the shed.

The weft (arkak) usually consists of a stick with yarn wound around it. The Kyrgyz woman weaves while squatting, constantly bent over, rhythmically performing one type of work after another. As she passes the weft, she beats it down using a beater, which she previously used to widen the shed by placing it on edge between the warp threads; then she removes the beater and raises the second heddle with the help of the board; after that, she passes the weft again, beats it down, and so on.

Working on such a primitively designed loom, positioned horizontally, almost at ground level, is very labor-intensive, progresses slowly, and requires significant physical effort. However, the artisans work with remarkable perseverance. For hours, without straightening their backs, they can perform one process after another.

The fabric produced on the narrow horizontal loom is commonly referred to as taar among the Kyrgyz. It appears as strips of various widths depending on their intended use. On average, its width ranges from 26 to 32 cm. The strips do not have specific lengths.

All fabrics produced by the Kyrgyz can be divided into the following types: simple solid colors, striped, patterned (which, in turn, have several varieties), and pile fabrics. Their practical purposes vary.