Somewhere in the design will appear a thin line, incompatible with the rest of the pattern, reaching to the edge of the rug. This is known as the spirit path, by which the weaver travels out of the rug so that she may go on to create more. Without it, her spirit might become trapped in the blanket. This sort of intentional imperfection is a common tradition in the construction of many aboriginal crafts.
— Susan Gordon Lydon, The Knitting Sutra