From the Loom to Your Room – How Rugs are Woven

t can take months and in some cases even years to make a good hand woven rug. Rug weaving is a difficult craft, requiring dedication and close attention to detail. There are many steps involved in the rug making process, which we will outline below.

Before the weaving process begins, the necessary materials must first be gathered. Proper preparation and grade in materials can make all the difference in a rug’s quality, so care and time are taken.

Once the loom is strung, the weaving process finally begins. Most rugs are either “knotted” or flat woven”. Knotted rugs are tied, one knot at a time, building slowly from the bottom of the loom toward the top. The weaver ties rows of knots across the whole rug, forming the pile, also called the nap (surface of the rug). Next, the weaver will insert several horizontal weft threads, pushed firmly onto the woven part of the rug. The number of weft threads determine the quality of the rug’s foundation. A fresh row of knots is then tied and the same process is continued until the rug has been completed. Flat woven rugs don’t have knots at all. Rather their pattern is created by the wefting.