By Navajo tradition it was Spiderwoman who first taught the Navajo women how to weave. Very few Navajo men weave.

Traditionally the shearing, cleaning, carding, dyeing and spinning of the wool took up most of the time in making a weaving. While Navajo still raise and shear sheep, most weavers use wool ready for weaving. It is still takes hours and hours to weave on the loom. To make a 3 x 5 foot rug with a simple design takes about 400 hours ( that is about the same amount of time you go to school in 3 months!). To make a really fancy design can take 2000 hours!

Navajo weavings were used for saddle blankets (for horses) and personal wear for warmth. Now they are used as rugs or hung on the wall as art.

Some Navajo rugs have a "spirit line". The "spirit line" is to let the spirits out of the weaving.

More to Learn about Navajo Rugs:

If you would like to see more patterns, go to the Navajo Rug Company

Would you like to see some drawings made by fifth graders? Go visit Mrs. O'Haver's class at Fairland Elementary School in Maryland