"'A masterweaver's work, this,' he went on, touching the heavy fabric with reverent fingers. 'Such colors, such patterning. It took a man's life to set up the loom, a craft's whole effort to complete, or I am no judge of true craftsmanship.'" (Dragonflight, p255)
Subjects for tapestries vary greatly according to taste and region. Hangings in Weyrs tend to take on draconic themes, whereas elsewhere, tapestries more often depict scenes of life in a Hold or crafthall. Abstract work is of course appreciated, but pictoral works are generally favoured on Pern. Full-scale works large enough to cover an entire wall of a great common chamber are rare, and only attempted by crafters of master rank, as they can take years to complete.
Rug or knitting wool are good materials to use, as is cotton yarn. Interesting effects can be made with finer sisal or cotton, or heavy wools. It is important to choose colours which contrast well. Each length of yarn should betwo or three times longer than the anticipated finished length. Any extra yarn can be made into a fringe. The weaver will also need some sort of stick.
The weaver anchors the yarn to something immovable, and winds each strand around the stick. Weaving is then done left to right, and can be finished off with braids, plys, knots or hems. The maximum number of strands which can be handled with comfort is around 48. The width of the braid also depends on the thickness of the yarn. Bands can always be sewn together to make one wide band.
The easiest pattern to do is diagonal braids. From this basic method, wavy lines can be woven. Chevron and diamond patterns can also be worked by gripping the yarn differently and weaving it in two directions.
One takes two straight sticks or dowels of the same length and thickness. Then one must choose the yarn. Anything colourful is wonderful - wool and cotton are good choices for fibres. The crafter then lays one stick on top of the other at a perpendicular angle, lashing them together with yarn, and beginning to weave in and out of the sticks, making sure to maintain tension. The crafter can choose to use recessed wrapping or raised wrapping - the firstproduces the look of the yarn travelling under the sticks, the second the look of the yarn travelling over top the sticks.
It is best to avoid fabrics which unravel and shed, such as fur. Metallic threads are scratchy. Velvet, wool and linen tend to fray, so the weaver needs to turn the edges in carefully. Felt is good for a smooth look. It doesn't fray, but on the other hand is difficult to wash. Cotton is ideal, as is tweed. The blending of different kinds of fabrics in braiding can create interesting effects.