RUGS EXPLAINED
HAND-KNOTTED RUGS
IT TAKES
Exceptional
SKILL
THERE RUGS ARE MADE ON SPECIALLY DESIGNED LOOMS. WEAVERS TIE EACH KNOT ON THE WARP THREAD AND THEN CUT IT BEFORE MOVING ONTO THE NEXT ONE THUS CREATING THE PILE EFFECT. AFTER THE KNOTTING IS COMPLETED, THE RUG IS SENT OUT TO THE WASHING PLANT TO REMOVE ANY DUST AND TO GIVE THE RUG ITS NATURAL SHINE AND LUSTRE. IT IS THEN READY TO BE STRETCHED, CLIPPED AND BOUND. WHILST THIS IS A SIMPLIFIED EXPLANATION OF HOW THE PROCESS WORKS, WHAT MAKES THESE RUGS TRULY SPECIAL IS THE SKILL OF THE ARTISAN AND THE AWARENESS THAT EACH RUG WILL NOT BE IDENTICAL TO THE NEXT ONE, IT WILL BE IN FACT, UNIQUE. THE QUALITY IN THESE RUGS IS DETERMINED BY THE NUMBER OF KNOTS PER INCH SO THE HIGHER THE KNOT COUNT, THE FINER THE WEAVE. THIS MEANS THIS TYPE OF RUG TAKES A REALLY LONG TIME TO WEAVE BUT IT IS WORTH THE WAIT BECAUSE THE FINAL RESULT IS TRUE FLOOR ART
HAND-TUFTED RUGS
THESE RUGS ARE
MORE affordable
AS THE NAME SUGGESTS, THESE RUGS ARE STILL HANDMADE, HOWEVER, WHILST HAND- KNOTTED RUGS CAN SOMETIMES TAKE UP TO A YEAR OR MORE TO BE MADE. HAND-TUFTED RUGS ARE MADE USING A MUCH QUICKER PROCESS. THE DESIGN OF THE RUG IS BLUE- PRINTED ONTO THE CANVAS BACKING AND THE WEAVER USES A TUFTING GUN TO TRACE THE DESIGN AND INJECT LOOPS OF YARN INTO THE BACKING. ON THE BACK OF THE RUG, THE LOOPS ARE SECURED WITH LATEX GLUE AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL BACKING CLOTH IS APPLIED. THE NEXT PROCESS IS THE SHEARING: THE LOOPS ON TOP OF THE RUG ARE CUT TO MAKE THE PLUSH PILE. THE RUG IS FINALLY, WASHED, STRETCHED AND BOUND. HAND- TUFTING CAN TAKE AS LITTLE AS A DAY TO COMPLETE MAKING THESE RUGS MORE AFFORDABLE YET STILL RETAINING GREAT QUALITY.
FLAT-WOVEN RUGS
NO KNOTS ARE USED IN
THIS ancient
technique
MADE IN A VAST RANGE OF PATTERNS AND COLOURS, FLAT-WOVEN RUGS HAVE AN OLD MANUFACTURING HISTORY, THINK DHURRIES, KILIMS OR EVEN AUBUSSONS. THESE RUGS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR CENTURIES AND DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF MATERIAL USED THEY CAN ADD A TOUCH OF ELEGANT LUXURY OR A NATURAL TEXTURED LOOK INTO THE HOME EASY TO MANUFACTURE THEREFORE MORE AFFORDABLE THAN THEIR KNOTTED COUNTERPARTS, THESE RUGS ARE APPROPRIATELY NAMED FLATWEAVE IN THAT THEY ARE MANUFACTURED WITHOUT A PILE, NO KNOTS ARE USED IN THIS ANCIENT TECHNIQUE THE WARP AND THE WEFT, THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL TREADS ON THE VERTICAL LOOM, ARE WOVEN TOGETHER WITHOUT THE USE OF A BACKING MATERIAL SO THESE THREADS ARE BOTH THE FOUNDATION AND THE PATTERN OF THE RUG. FLAT-WOVEN RUGS ARE REVERSIBLE, THIN, LIGHTWEIGHT AND CAN BE EASILY FOLDED OR CARRIED. THEY ARE QUITE OFTEN MADE OF JUTE, HEMP. WOOL AND EVEN PET, MAKING THEM THE IDEAL CHOICE FOR OUTDOOR AREAS ALSO.
