Why do we work with wool?
Wool is one of the best and most luxurious natural fibres that a rug can be made of. A woollen rug is easy to maintain ( link to care page ), incredibly durable in high traffic areas and is naturally fire resistant. Since the fibres that make up wool are naturally coiled, woollen yarn has a naturally springy quality when compared to synthetic fibres. Woollen fibres absorb the dye much more effectively (compared to synthetic fibres) during the manufacturing process which leads to deeper and richer colours as well as a significantly higher retention of the colours. Wool is one of the most environmentally friendly fibres as it 100% renewable and is also completely biodegradable.
Types of Wool that we use
Pure wool
Pure wool is a mixture of various high qualities of Indian wool, the result of this is a fine and incredibly soft finish to your rug. Our pure wool rugs retain their shape, are hard wearing and are naturally flame retardant. Our pure wool rugs have natural oils contained within their fibres which give an exceptional capability of repelling stains. Above all other benefits of our pure wool rugs, they are incredibly soft, luxurious, and warm.
New Zealand Wool
New Zealand wool is arguably the finest material that a rug can be made of. A New Zealand woollen rugs individual fibres are significantly longer than pure woollen fibres and this leads to superior quality in the finished product. New Zealand wool is the whitest and cleanest wool that is available. The exceptional purity of New Zealand wool leads to higher colour definition in the finished piece due to the wool being able to absorb the coloured dye much more effectively.
How is your hand tufted rug made?
In creating your hand tufted rug, we unite centuries old craftsmanship with contemporary technological processes. The result is a completely unique and breath-taking piece. Our specialist artisans will take your bespoke design, enlarge it to the specific size you have requested and then trace it on a stretched canvas. Using a handheld tufting gun, the artisan will then fire/punch the wool through the canvas to bring your design to life. The next stage of the rugs journey is whereby a latex backing is applied on the reverse of the rug. This ensures that the tufts are securely held in place. A secondary backing made of cloth is carefully applied on top of the latex to give extra security and stability. Once the backing is completed, the artisan will then shear the pile of the rug to give a pleasing symmetry as well as intricately hand carving areas to highlight its beauty.
How is your hand knotted rug made?
The skill involved to create a hand knotted rug is something that has been passed down through several generations of artisans, and this skill is exhibited in the stunning finished piece of art that you will own. There are two types of thread that are used on the loom. The first one is called the ‘warp’ which are the threads that run vertically. The second thread is called the ‘weft’ and these run horizontally across the loom. The artisan will weave the weft threads in and out of the warp threads and this establishes the bedrock of the piece. The artisan will then knot the weft threads to the warp, tighten them and then cut the excess thread. This process is diligently repeated until the full beautiful piece is finished. The number of knots per square inch determines the quality and the intricacy of the piece. We offer three levels of knots per square inch, and these are 60 knots, 100 knots and 150 knots, The higher the number of knots will provide the highest level of intricacy and detail.
