Hand-knotted rugs

The loom and the foundation

A hand-knotted rug starts as a set of warp threads stretched tight on a loom, from top to bottom. The warps are usually cotton or wool, and sometimes silk. They become the rug’s foundation, and their ends become the fringe.

Weft threads run across the loom, over and under the warps. They lock each row of knots in place.

Tying the knots

The weaver wraps a short piece of yarn around two neighboring warp threads, ties it, and cuts it with a knife. That tuft is one knot. The weaver ties a full row across the width of the rug, following a drawn chart called a cartoon or a pattern held in memory.

After each row, one or more wefts are passed across and packed down hard with a heavy comb. Then the next row of knots begins. The design builds up from the bottom of the rug to the top.

Persian and Turkish knots

There are two main knots. The symmetrical knot, often called the Turkish knot, wraps around both warps and comes up between them. The asymmetrical knot, often called the Persian knot, wraps around one warp and passes under the other.

The names describe the knot, not where the rug was made. Many Persian rugs, including most Heriz rugs, use the symmetrical knot.

Knot density

Knot density is the number of knots in a square inch, often written KPSI. More knots allow finer detail and curved lines. Fewer knots give a bolder, more geometric design.

A higher count does not always mean a better rug. Wool quality, dyes, design and condition matter just as much, and many sturdy village and tribal rugs have a modest count.

Finishing

When the weaving is done, the rug is cut from the loom. The pile is sheared to an even height, the rug is washed, and it is stretched to dry square. The sides are wrapped and the ends secured so the knots cannot work loose.

A room-size rug takes a weaver or a small team many months, and a very fine one can take more than a year.

How to recognize one

Turn the rug over. On a hand-knotted rug, the back shows the design clearly, with every knot visible as a small, slightly uneven dot.

The fringe is the end of the warp threads, not a strip sewn on. The back is not covered by a cloth or glued backing.

Small irregularities are normal: a row that wanders a little, or a color that shifts across the field. That color shift is called abrash.

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