All About Carpets & Rugs

How Rugs are Made 

Different Weaves

Kilim Technique (Weft faced Tapestry)

Kilim is the Turkish word for weft-faced tapestry, the simplest weaving structure known. It consists of vertical warps combined purely with successive passes of horizontal wefting. If the wefting is compressed vertically with a weavers comb so as to cover the warps entirely, it produces 'weft-faced' tapestry. By manipulating the wefts in different colors, they can be made to produce the design of the kilim. Where changes in color are accomplished by vertically successive rows of diverging wefts around two adjacent warps, this produces small gaps or slits – so-called slit tapestry technique. Alternatively the diverging wefts in different colors may stagger back and forth vertically across two adjacent warps – so-called dovetail tapestry.

Soumak Technique

Soumak is a type of brocading or flatwoven pile. Thicker than kilim, it is accomplished by looping the yarn horizontally around successive pairs of warps in between passes of over-under wefting. When compressed vertically with a weaver's comb, the resultant texture looks like cabling rising slightly from the surface of the rug. Soumak is named for the village of Shemaka in the Caucasus where this technique was widely practiced, but it certainly was not invented there. Soumak has been practiced extensively across the rug producing world, from Central Asia to Iran, the Caucasus, and Turkey.

Pile or Knotted Carpets

The knotted pile carpet is certainly the most familiar type of rug to western consumers. It is also the most luxurious or tactile form of rug, providing a cushion or insulation as well as decorative floor covering. The term knotting, however, is a misnomer for the most part. Most types of knotted rugs are produced by looping short lengths of yarn around successive pairs of warps in horizontal rows, and letting the excess wool hang downward in a shaggy mass. These loops may be done in a few different configurations. The rows of knots are followed by several passes of wefting which pass through the warps as a foundation, binding the rug together, and which also space out the rows of knots to keep them from becoming too dense. The shaggy ends of the knots may be trimmed as the carpet is being woven, or after it has been completed. This trimming creates the surface of the pile. If left long, the pile is shaggy and fur-like. If clipped low, it is velvety in texture. Low pile is better for intricate designs since changes in color appear sharper and crisper. High or long pile has a fuzzier texture and visual effect that works better for bolder, simpler large-scale designs.