INVESTING IN A HAND-KNOTTED RUG
Predominantly made of synthetic fibres, the lower priced rug is less resilient than that made of natural fibres such as wools and silks. Synthetic rugs tend to be at risk of irreversible damage from spillages as a result of this, whilst the natural fibres have naturally protective qualities. In contrast, the hand-knotted rug possesses its own unique sense of identity as a result of each individual knot being made by the weaver. The use of natural fibres also creates a greater feeling of warmth and richness in contrast to synthetic fibres such as viscose.
PRODUCTION TIME
The intensive process of making a luxury hand-knotted rug is reflected in its production time, often taking several months for a piece to be completed. Before the rug goes to the loom, the fibres are prepared by hand through a process called carding, spun to create the yarn and then dyed to the desired shade. It takes approximately 25 people to make a single hand-knotted rug.
ARS COLOUR SYSTEM
Traditionally, the dyes used to create Tibetan rugs were acquired naturally through herbal plants. Nowadays with the advancement of technology and logistics, many dyes are made from other substances. At Knots Rugs we use the ARS colour system as well as some natural dyes to achieve the vast colour range within our yarns.
POT DYEING PROCESS
Pot dyeing is a long established and traditional method of dyeing used to dye the yarn to make our rugs. The yarn is placed into a large pot filled with boiling water with the specific amount of dye added for the specific colour. The yarn is constantly turned on a wheel to ensure that the colour has effectively permeated the wool and is also consistent, however a natural abrash will occur due to this process. Once the dyeing process is complete, the yarn is then left to dry naturally on top of the roofs.
Hand carding is a vital step in the production process as it transforms the raw wool into yarn that is ready to be spun. The process of hand carding involves de-tangling the raw wool by teasing it back and forth between two paddles. These paddles have small metal spikes on one side, which act as a brush, working through the tangles to filter out any thorns or grasses. The hand carded wool is then fed into a spinning wheel where it is twisted into one long strand of yarn.
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