Handwoven Rugs – Handwoven or handmade rugs are made by weavers who wrap the dyed wool or silk around two warp threads to form a knot. After each row of knots is tied the weaver then passes a weft across the top to secure it. There could be two or more wefts in a rug depending on where it was woven. This process is continued by carefully tying knots, row by row, until the rug is finished and the knots are sheered to reveal the intended design. Much like pixels on a computer monitor, the smaller the knots and more there are, the clearer the design becomes, and such finer rugs are praised for their detail and beauty.
Kilims – Kilims are flat weave rugs and thus have no pile. The weaver takes the dyed wool and pass it through the warps to create the design; in doing so, the dyed wool takes the place of the weft. This method, while beautiful, is not meant for intricate detail and so are usually woven into simple geometric designs.
SNumaks – Sumaks are flat weaves like kilims but are stronger and thicker. They are made by wrapping the dyed wool over four warps and then back over the last two in order to create a design. The colors are continued throughout the row as far as it is needed until it is cut from the back and a new color is started. This process leaves the front smooth and the back raggedy from excess wool. Sumaks also have a weft for added support.
Dhurrie Rugs – Dhurrie rugs are woven like Kilims except instead of using wool they are made entirely from cotton. Most dhurries are woven in India.
Needle Point Rugs - Needle points are woven by using a method which weaves stitches on to a canvas. Unlike conventional needle point, the rugs are made using a strong, lightweight cotton canvas foundation which are key for large intricate designs. Like other flat weave rugs, Needle points have no pile.
Machine Made Rugs – Machine made rugs are made using a machine guided electric power loom which quickly weaves the yarn to rugs backing.
Hooked Rugs – In hooked rugs, yarn is pushed through the back of a cloth canvas and pulled back to form a design. Latex glue is then applied to the back in order to secure the yarn from pulling out.
Hand Tufted Rugs – While hand tufted rugs area often advertised as “handmade” it is in no way the same process as a handmade rug. With hand tufted rugs, the pile is inserted into a cloth by someone with a tufting gun which shoots the wool through the premade foundation. Similar Machine Tufted Rugs are made the same way but by a computer guided machine.