The Knots That Bind a Rug

Hand Knotted rugs come from all over Asia, spanning the silk route from Turkey to China and beyond. With such varied origins, what makes all high quality rugs similar is their knots. There are two basic knots that are used and from those two starting knots, many permutations. The basic knots are Persian (Sennah) and Turkish (Ghiordes).

The foundation of a rug is formed by the intersection on the warp and weft threads. They form a grid with the warp threads running the length of a rug and the weft threads running the width. Interlaced together, the warp and the weft threads create a grid on which all the knots are tied. The tassels at each end of most rugs are the ends of the warp. During construction, threads are wound over, under, and around two warp threads forming a knot. These knots are made one at a time from one edge of the loom to the other, forming a row of knots. In between each row of knots, one or more weft threads are woven through the warp threads creating a crossed pattern that hold the knots in place. The warp and weft in a wool rug are generally cotton, but can be wool. In very fine silk carpets, silk is often used for the warp and weft threads. But in silk rugs with lower Knot Counts, a cotton foundation is fairly common.

When looking at area rugs, the knots on the back should be uniform and straight. Because they are hand made, some variance will occur in the rows of knots, but it should be slight and cannot affect the pattern.

There are handmade rugs that are made using other methods, but they are not classified as hand knotted. Such rugs include hooked rugs, hand tufted rugs, chain stitched rugs, and more. While each of these bears the moniker of being handmade, hand knotted rugs are superior in both quality and durability.

Warmest Regards,
Brad Scott
Rugs of Kaibab
Introducing America to Affordable Heirlooms