There is much more to making a rug than you think. The process in making a beautiful oriental rug that is going to last you a life time and passed down from generation to generation is impeccable.
Every rug has its history and unique story as to how it was made and who it previously belonged to. Many antique rugs are hand made with natural wool and organic dyes. When you look closely at an oriental carpet you see how each knot was individually knotted because every knot is slightly different.
What many don’t know when buying a rug is the true process it took to create such a beautiful master piece.
Rugs can be made from a wide variety of material but the main product to making an oriental rug is from Sheep Wool, Aplaca wool or Silk. The process of making the yarn itself is quite interesting.
First the sheep’s get sheered by a professional sheerer then the wool gets sent in large bundles to a different location where the wool will be hand separated by experts with an eye for color coordination. For instance, separating the white, blacks, and brown wool in different piles. Once the wool has been separated the next step is to begin carded wool to make it light and airy for it to be spun on the wheel and make into yarn.
Once the wool has been made into yarn the next procedure is to dye it using natural ingredients. For example, fruits, plants, and vegetables. The process to boil takes about 20 to 30 minutes to extract the pigment, strain, and then add cold water, cooling the bath down. Enter the wet wool and bring slowly to the boil over 30 to 40 minutes, then simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until a good colour is reached. Allow to cool. Lastly you wait for it to dry to begin use in making a rug.
Preparing the yarn is quite the process but not as much as actually hand weaving a rug. Depending on the rug it can take months or year to finish a very large rug. an artist draws a design for the rug on a special graph paper. A frame is then prepared by stretching columns of thread, called warps, vertically down the loom. Warps are usually made of cotton. The weaver then weaves the yarn knot-by-knot on the loom using a knotting method, such as Turkish knot, Persian knot and Tibetan knot.
Once the rug is finished it is sent out for a final rug wash, then sent out to its final destination.
