I come across many customers who are confused about the difference between hand-knotted, hand-tufted and machine-made rugs. Here are some brief descriptions that I developed to educate people.

Hand-knotted rugs are made from wool or silk or a combination of both. These rugs are completely made by hand. The process starts with the design, followed by threading the yarn, dyeing, knotting in the looms, crushing or cutting the pile, washing the rugs, and then drying them in the sun. There are several styles of knots including Persian knots, Tibetan knots, Jaipur knots and more recently Ziegler or Chobbi knots. Quality in rugs is determined by how many knots of wool are used in the process.

Hand-tufted rugs are also made from wool or silk or a combination of both. Similar to hand-knotting, most of the process is done by hand. The exception is with respect to the hand-knotting process. Instead of hand knotting, they use a hand glue gun to attach the yarn into a backing (usually cotton backing). Hand-tufted rugs are much less expensive then hand-knotted ones.

Machine-made rugs are made from synthetic materials such as polypropylene, nylon, and viscose (also known as artificial silk), but you can also find wool, machine-made rugs. They are all made in a computerized machine. Unlike hand-knotted rugs, machine-made rugs come in standard sizes, such as 4×6, 5×8, 7×10, 8×11 and sometimes 10×13. In North America, the sizes for hand-knotted rugs are different from those in the European market; the sizes: are 4×6, 6×9, 8×10 and 9×12. Some places also carry larger sizes. Both machine and hand-made rugs are available in round and rectangular shapes.

Investing in a quality rug is an important purchase, but it does not have to be a daunting one. Taking the time to understand and research the available styles and designs can help you make an informed decision.

*These tips are courtesy of Weavers Rug Gallery, located at 2575 Dundas St. West, Unit# 22 Mississauga, Ontario, L5K 2M6 in the Mississauga Home and Design Centre www.homeanddesigncentre.ca *