CRAFT AND INNOVATION
Techniques & Construction of Rug Weaving and Woven Carpets
Perhaps the most important way to identify the quality of a rug is not through its design, but through the materials and technique used to weave the rug. Even the slightest differences in these aspects of a rug’s make can have a tremendous impact on the rug’s durability and overall value. Someone trained in assessing these characteristics can also come to several conclusions about the rug beyond its quality, such as its place of origin and the age of a particular piece.
Finest Wool Process
The finest wool is gathered from the sheep that are sheared in the autumn. This process makes the most crucial step in the carpet making process. After shearing the wool, it is classified based on different qualities. This sheared wool then undergoes cleaning, scouring, grading and sorting, carding, spinning, weaving, and finishing.
Carding helps in sorting out the wool and in separating the fibers. The carding can be done mechanically, but we practice it by hand. This raw wool is then cleaned and spun into yarn. The spinning is done following different ways and means such as warp, weft, or pile.
Design Process
The Rug Knots has a wonderful design studio that accommodates the best of designers which brings out the best creation. This design team creates unique masterpieces inspired either by Traditional Styles or by modern and contemporary art forms.
As soon as the design is finalized, the creative team decides on the color poms to follow. At times, the design may demand a bold and vibrant color while at times, there is a need for an elegant, sophisticated poms.
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Dyeing
Depending on the needs of the colors being decided by the design team, the yarn made of wool is dipped repeatedly in the large color tubs to ensure it gets thoroughly colored. The colored yarns are placed under the sun for drying.
Natural dyes are used for more exclusive carpets while the simpler carpets use a mixture of natural and synthetic dyes.
Weaving
Next comes the weaving process where the wool yarn is woven into the fabric. The weavers in the process use some simple tools which include a knife with a hook, a pair of scissors, and a heavy comb which is made of wood and metal. The rows comprising knots and weft are beaten together with the help of these tools. The artisans weave the rugs on the basis of a rug map given to them. The necessary raw materials along with life-sized graphs of designs are then sent to weaving centers.
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Washing process:
The washing process comes after the raw clipping is done after finishing the weaving process. In this process, rugs are washed to ensure they have natural sheen coming out through the yarns used.
Carving Process
Now, the rug is complete. It is further stretched, and the edge binding is done to level it. Further, the rug is evened out with the help of high low carving process. Next, it is trimmed to free it of uneven fibers. Hand Shearing is done thereafter to give the rugs a unique layered look to ensure it is ready to be shipped.
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