An Overview of Hand Tufted, Hand Knotted, and Hand Woven Rugs
Overview
Explore three popular rug types and their unique crafting methods.
Understand how each type is made, their durability, design nuances, and care requirements.
Find the right rug for your lifestyle and décor.
Hand Tufted Rugs
Weaving Process:
A backing fabric is first secured to an iron frame, and the intended design is traced onto it.
Using a handheld tufting device, the artisan forces yarn through the fabric to create loops or piles in the designed areas.
Once the rug meets quality standards, a canvas backing is bonded to the surface. This step helps prevent shedding and adds a unique look.
Production takes approximately 1 month, and the finished rug typically lasts between 5 to 7 years.
Hand Tufted Rugs
Key Features:
Identification: Look for a canvas backing that holds the yarn in place. The rug will usually feature either a cut pile or a combination of cut and loop piles.
Pile Height: Generally medium to high, offering a comfortable walking surface.
Durability & Design: Moderately detailed with a lifespan of 5-7 years.
Technique: Created by tufting—where yarn is pushed through the fabric to form loops rather than tying knots.
Hand Knotted Rugs
Weaving Process:
Drawing from India's rich artisanal heritage, these rugs are painstakingly hand-knotted. Each knot is carefully tied one at a time, guided by detailed design charts or traditional memorization techniques passed down through generations.
Artisans may even use vocal cues (a practice known as Boli weaving) to manage color sequences during production.
The crafting time can range from 1.5 months to almost 6 months, largely depending on the rug’s size and complexity.
Hand Knotted Rugs
Key Features:
Identification: The back of a hand-knotted rug reveals individual, sometimes irregular knots that mirror the front design. The density of these knots is measured in “knots per square inch” (KPSI), an indicator of both intricacy and quality.
Pile Height: Usually low to medium, ensuring comfort.
Durability & Design: Exceptionally durable (lasting over 30 years) with intricate patterns.
Technique: Yarn is individually knotted onto warp threads, a labor-intensive method that results in highly valuable rugs.
KPSI (Knots per Square Inch)
What is KPSI?
KPSI measures the number of knots in a one-inch square of a hand-knotted rug.
It is a critical indicator of both the intricacy and the durability of the rug.
How to Measure:
Count the knots along a 1-inch section vertically and horizontally.
Multiply these two numbers. For example, an 8x8 measurement means 8 knots vertically × 8 knots horizontally, resulting in 64 knots per square inch.
KPSI (Knots per Square Inch)
How to Measure:
KPSI Quality
5x8 (150x240 cm)
8x10 (240x300 cm)
9x12 (270x360 cm)
10x14 (300x420 cm)
8x8 (64)
368,640 knots
737,280 knots
995,328 knots
1,290,240 knots
10x14 (140)
806,400 knots
1,612,800 knots
2,177,280 knots
2,822,400 knots
14x14 (196)
1,128,960 knots
2,257,920 knots
3,048,198 knots
3,951,360 knots
Key Takeaways:
Higher KPSI: Indicates a denser, more detailed rug. It takes more time to produce, resulting in a higher quality and greater durability.
Lower KPSI: Generally correlates with simpler designs and a faster production process.
Hand Woven (Flat Weave) Rugs
Weaving Process:
Made by interlacing warp and weft threads, similar to traditional fabric weaving. Examples include India’s Dhurrie and Persia’s Kilim.
These rugs have no pile; their patterns are created by varying thread sizes, colors, or interlacing techniques.
Typically lightweight, flexible, and ideal for indoor, outdoor, or travel use. Production usually takes about 1 month, with a lifespan exceeding 10 years.
Hand Woven (Flat Weave) Rugs
Key Features:
Identification: Recognizable by their flat, reversible construction.
Pile Height: Flat (no pile).
Durability & Design: Versatile designs ranging from moderately intricate to highly creative, with a product life of 10+ years.
