The Rug Making Process:

The production process of a hand-knotted rug passes through over a hundred hands. Each step in the process is in itself an art form or a hard-earned skill. To produce a quality product, we attempt to control as much of the process as possible.

• Designing: Our designs are typically inspired by old rug records, with some pieces dating back centuries. Each of our lines has a different design philosophy. We choose certain classical records depending on the line and tweak them accordingly. We work with our designers to make sure our rugs are relevant for decades. 

 

• Graphing: The second step, after conceptualization, is to translate the traditional records, with our updates, to paper.

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Translating: The graph paper is then translated to its own language called tallim (code). That code, along with our graphs, lets the weavers know when to change colours between wool and silk, the knot density, and knots per square inch.

 

 

Spinning: Wool is a crucial ingredient in producing a high-quality rug. A strand of yarn is formed by spinning fibers together. The longer the fibers, the stronger the wool, the more durable the rug. The spinning of wool is either done by hand and labelled handspun yarn or mechanically. The type of yarn used depends upon the look of the carpet required.

 

Dyeing: When doing a production run, we decide how much of each color is required to fulfill our demand. Dyeing is a technical art form, conducted by hand by skilled workers. 

Weaving: Once the materials are procured, they are given to the weaver. The weaver then spends months creating the rug, knot by knot. Once a knot is made, it cannot be reversed, so there is no margin for error.

Washing: After weaving, the rug is washed in order to remove excess dye and debris. It also ensures that there is no colour run when professionally cleaned later in its life.

Clipping: After washing, there are many excess fibers on the front of the rug. Those fibers are carefully and evenly clipped and shaved to prominently display the rug's artwork and achieve the desired texture and look.

 

Finishing: Once clipped, just the final touches remain. Any loose fibers or other irregularities are dealt with. The fringes are clipped and hand hemmed. The rug then completes quality control.