Hand Knotted Rug Making Process
Rug Making Process
The process of making our hand-made rugs operates on a decentralized model, supported by comprehensive quality checks along the way. With this approach, we are able to work with and support specialist artisans in many different locations, but ensure the highest quality in the end results.
Raw Material Selection
The best wool is sourced and processed
Carding, Spinning & Hanks
Raw wool is cleaned and then spun into yarn
Dyeing
We dyes wool to over 2500 colors
Weaving
Artisans weave the rugs from a provided rug map
Washing
Rugs are washed to bring out the natural sheen in the yarns used and dislodge any dirt from the weaving process
Finishing
The completed rugs are evened out, trimmed and prepared for export
Finished Product
The finished rug is purchased by a customer to transform living spaces
Knots per square Inch (KPSI)
KPSI (Knots Per Square Inch) is a measurement of the density of knots in a hand-knotted rug and is a general indicator of its quality and durability. Knot count can, however, vary substantially depending on many other factors (such as style, origin, etc.), so this measurement is just one aspect to take into account when assessing a rug.
How do you measure it ?
Turn a hand-knotted rug over and count the individual knots you can see running vertically for 1’’ and then horizontally for 1’’. Multiplying these two figures together will give you the overall KPSI.
Hand-Knotted Rugs KPSI Example
| Quality | 5×8 (150×240 cm) | 8×10 (240×300 cm) | 9×12 (270×360 cm) | 10×14 (300×420 cm) |
| 8×8 (64) | 368.640 (knots) | 737.280 (knots) | 995.328 (knots) | 1.290.240 (knots) |
| 10×14 (140) | 806.400 (knots) | 1.612.800 (knots) | 2.177.280 (knots) | 2.822.400 (knots) |
| 14×14 (196) | 1.128.960 (knots) | 2.257.920 (knots) | 3.048.198 (knots) | 3.951.360 (knots) |
Pile
The pile of a rug refers to the way the fibres are finished. These are either trimmed or untrimmed (or sometimes a combination of the two) to produce the required designs in a rug.
LOOP PILE
The loops of fibre that make up the rug are left uncut. The lengths of these may vary from design to design.
CUT PILE
The loops of fibre are cut, creating a pile on the surface of the rug.
CUT AND LOOP PILE
A combination of cut and uncut loops are used to create distinctive textured designs
FLAT – WEAVE
These rugs have interwoven, rather than knotted or tufted fibres, so they have a flat finish instead of a pile.
Weaving Techniques
Not all handmade rugs are woven in the same way. The style of weaving determines both the appearance of the finished product, as well as the price (due to the time and labour involved).
Weaving Techniques at a Glance
| Rug Type-5’x8′ (150x240cm) | Time to Manufacture | Durability | Price | shedding |
| Hand-Knotted | 5-12 months | 20+ years | ,,,, | Low |
| Hand-Tufted | 4-6 months | 3-10 years | ,, | Medium-High |
| Flat-Weave | 3-4 months | 20+ years | ,, | Low |
| Hand-Loomed | Construction dependent (3-5 months) | 3-10 years | ,, | Low-Medium |
HAND KNOTTED
The most labour-intensive weaving process, conducted by specially-trained artisans
Working off a rug map, artisans tie individual knots to build up the rug’s design one row at a time
The quality of a hand-knotted rug is determined by the number of knots per square inch (KPSI)
A higher KPSI requires greater skill on the part of the weaver and results in a higher-quality rug
How To Identify:
Individual, often uneven knots are visible on the back of these rugs, mirroring the pattern visible on the front.
HAND TUFTED
Individual tufts of yarn are punched into a pre-made backing fabric with a special tufting gun
This tool hooks and pulls yarn through the backing to form loops or piles
This process is less skill and labor-intensive than hand-knotting, so rugs can be completed in a shorter amount of time
How To Identify:
These rugs have a canvas backing glued on to hold the knots in place and usually have a cut or cut and loop pile.
FLAT WEAVING
Flat-weave rugs are created on a loom, rather than knotted or tufted
These rugs are often reversible, with designs on both sides
Because they only consist of warp and weft threads they don’t have the thickness of knotted and tufted rugs
Flat-weave rugs are lightweight and often require rug pads to stay in place
How To Identify:
With their woven construction, these rugs are flat and don’t have a pile.
HAND LOOMED
Weavers use a loom to create these rugs by hand
The loom holds the warp (vertical) threads in place and allows the interweaving of the weft (horizontal)
Different looms are used to produce different types of rugs: including felted textures, shag, naturals or solid and border rugs
How To Identify:
Hand-loomed rugs usually have a low to medium pile (other than shags, which have a deep pile) and can have a canvas backing added to them.
