Rug Terminology
When dealing with rugs, it is advisable to acquaint yourself with some commonly
used terms in the trade community. Familiarizing yourself with these terms will
help you communicate more effectively thereby ensuring a smoother purchasing
experience
A
AbArash
An effect observed in the colour(s) of a rug which is largely by design. An abarash effect occurs when the yarn is dyed both – intensively and lightly at different areas of the same hank usually in two to three shades of the same family of colours. This is what produces light spots and subtle shading differences in the carpet which appear white in colour and are essentially parts of the yarn.
Action Back
A net like backing applied to flat weave area rugs or wall to wall carpets. This is usually considered as a primary backing on top of which there is another layer of cotton cloth applied which is a practice more relevant in hand tufted rugs
All-Over Design
Rugs that contain designs where the pattern is consistent throughout the rug. Generally seen in Persian designs which have features like a central motif or medallion. To distinguish between those and other designs is where this phrase is most useful. To give you an example of this type of design is the Herati pattern often seen in Persian style hand knotted carpets
Antique Wash
A washing technique implemented to make a rug appear as though it has been restored in some fashion after several decades/ centuries giving it an old and faded look
Art Silk
Stands for artificial silk or as the industry term goes “bamboo viscose”. A popular fabric for yarn used industry wide amongst all factories. Due to popularity and distribution networks, the fabric has come under a lot of scrutiny over the years as inferior qualities of this fabric are known to be masquerading as real silk
B
Background colour
Implies the shade used in the ground of the rug. In any carpet, there are two colour references to distinguish from, the first one indicates the set of shades used at the base of a design which forms the majority portion and second are the set of colours used for the motifs/patterns in a carpet. Some of the commonly used background colours vary as per the kind of design, for Persian style designs it could be maroon, yellow, blue or beige. For contemporary designs, it can be grey, beige, sand, pewter and other monotone varieties
Backing
A certain kind of fabric which is used in hand tufted or handloom style rugs for protection and strengthening of the carpet. Backing is applied at the bottom of a rug in two stages during finishing:
Primary backing | A woven or nonwoven fabric in which the yarn is inserted by the tufting needles Secondary backing | Fabric laminated to the back of the carpet to increase dimensional stability
Bazaar
An inspection process that is conducted by floor managers or production heads before the piece is finally approved for dispatch or ready to be shown to the factory owners
Berber
Refers to a rug made from undyed woollen yarn that is hand spun. Indigenous to the tribal regions of North Africa
Binding
A process where a cotton band or strip is sewn/pasted along the edges of a rug. This is done at the back of the carpet to protect, strengthen or decorate the edge
Birai
A finishing process that involves plucking out tiny bits of white undyed yarn that can sometimes get stuck in the pile of a rug
Blending
When there are two or more kinds of yarn used to fuse and create one type of yarn. This could imply two different yarn fibres like wool and jute, wool and art silk etc. The blending of a yarn is conducted in two ways:
First |The first method is where the blending takes place during the fibre stage itself to create one yarn. This is done during spinning of the yarn. For instance – blending silk and wool fibres during the spinning process to create one yarn
Second |In this method, the yarn has already been spun and is then blended to create a mixed yarn. Again, this could be two different or similar fibres but of different varieties. For instance – blending New Zealand wool with Indian wool to create a texture based woollen yarn for weaving
Border
A strip of coloured pattern seen running along the boundaries of a rug to demarcate the areas of the boundary and the main design in it
Braided
A type of reversible rug usually made from natural fibres such as Jute, Hemp or Sisal. Braiding is a technique where strips of yarn are made into thick ropes and then sewn together to achieve a reversible look
C
CAD
A computer generated version of the rugs design with markings clearly indicating shade numbers that will be used for every motif/ section of the rug along with colour keys and specifications mentioned
Carding
A process where yarn fibre is disentangled, cleaned and inter-mixed to produce a consistent web of fibre that can later be used for spinning. Carding can be done either by hand or using machines
Chain Stitch
A crochet technique used for closing loops or knots of yarn usually at the border or edges of a rug
Chemical Wash
A kind of wash where certain specific chemicals are utilised to alter the appearance and texture of the rug. This could mean using chemicals like hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, sulphuric acid, soap, detergent etc.
Chrome Dyeing
Modern synthetic style of dyeing which allows the yarn to maintain colour fastness (any dye that retains its intensity despite exposure to light and washing). Chrome dyes produce an infinite variety of attractive colours and shades
Cloth Backing
A fabric such as cotton, leather etc. put on the back of an Indian handmade tufted rug. This is done with the application of synthetic latex to ensure the pile stays intact maintaining the structural integrity of a carpet
Colourfastness
Refers to the quality of dyes used in a rug. A colourfast dye does not fade when exposed to sunlight or water allowing the yarn in a rug to retain its colour
Construction
The technique used in making the rug i.e. hand knotted, hand tufted, hand woven, handloom etc. in addition to the final arrangement of yarn and backing materials as stated in a carpet’s specification
Contemporary
Non-traditional styles of rugs that range from shag and braided rugs to pile-weave rugs with geometric or modern patterns
Custom made Rugs
Carpets which are made as per the taste and style of a specific client/ customer. In this process, everything from selecting a design or colour to the kind of weave, materials, finishing, washing and size is decided by the person/ entity for whom these rugs are being created
Cut Pile
Cut pile is a smooth finish created by cutting off the tops of the wool loops. The cut loops are then twisted to make tufts of yarn that are erect, creating a soft even surface/ texture. Also known as ‘velour’ or ‘velvet’ pile
D
Density
The measure by which the quality of the rug’s construction is ascertained. This is determined by two factors: number of knots and the height of the pile in a specific area, in case of hand knotted, and tufting line in case of hand tufted. The more densely or tightly packed the yarn is, the more luxurious the pile will feel and the higher its durability
Dhurrie
A type of rug that is typically woven on a pit loom or punja loom with an exceptionally low pile and no backing. The rug may or may not have fringes on its borders. Also known as Druggets
Dyes
Chemicals which are not harmful in any way used for the colouring of yarn such as cotton, wool, silk, jute etc. There are two types of dyes: Natural Dyes and Synthetic Dyes. You may also hear brands using Azo free dyes; however, they tend to be expensive than natural or synthetic dyes thereby adding to the price of a rug
E
Embossed
A technique implemented during finishing of a rug wherein certain areas of the design are carved using a pair of scissors. This is done to accentuate certain elements of a pattern which otherwise won’t look as beautiful
Embroidery
A needle point technique used during production by rug makers to highlight specific elements in the design of a rug
F
Field
The epicentre of design in a traditional rug. This term is often used for all kinds of Indo-Persian and Oriental rugs wherein this field is surrounded by a border and central motifs
Flat Weave
A term that describes any rug with a bare minimum pile i.e. less than 2 or 3mm. Flat weave rugs are made using a specific technique on a variety of looms such as pit-loom, punja loom, handloom etc. Also referred to as Dhurrie or Soumac or Hand-woven style of carpets
Fluffing
The accumulation of yarn in a certain area of a rug. Fibre fragments are a common occurrence and one need not consider them as manufacturing defects. Regular vacuuming takes care of this quite easily. Also known as “shedding” or “pilling” of yarn
Fringe
Warps extending from the ends of an area rug, which are treated in several ways to prevent the wefts and knots from unravelling. Although fringes are a commonly observed feature in hand knotted and flat weave style carpets, nowadays, certain hand tufted rugs also come with artificial fringes to give it a hand knotted appearance
Fuzzing
Hair-like effect created on the surface of a carpet caused by fibres slipping out of the yarn due to the rug wearing out or wet cleaning
Ground
The base colour of any design usually occupying maximum surface area in a rug
GSM
Stands for grams per square meter. It is the metric of consumption for yarn in a rug. The higher the consumption, the costlier the rug
G
Gabbeh
A kind of design that can be seen either in hand knotted or hand loom construction and has soft, geometrical yet colourful elements in it. The origins of this design can be traced to the Zagros mountains in Persia
Gauge
The distance between two needle points expressed in fractions of an inch. Applies to both knitting and tufting of rugs
H
Hand Knotted
The most expensive and longest to make, hand-knotted rugs are traditionally made with wool or silk. Various qualities represent the design pattern, density and look. The weaver loops wool or silk around the warps one at a time, creating a thick pile. Cotton yarn is then woven through the warps to hold them together. Generally, the more knots per square inch, the more valuable, durable and expensive the rug. In this style of manufacturing, the cotton yarn is generally tied off to form a decorative fringe
Hand Made Area Rug
A rug where almost every process is conducted by hand such as spinning, dyeing, weaving, and finishing. There are different types of hand-made area rugs: knotted, tufted, hooked, looped and flat weave
Hand Spun
A technique of spinning the yarn fibres manually to create unique textures through uneven twists in the yarn. Applied mostly to wool, hand spinning can also be done for other natural fibres such as Nettle and Silk
Hand Tufted
Refers to rugs which are made using a tufting gun. These carpets share a similarity to hand hooked style of rugs; however, their distinguishing feature is that they can be made with loops as well as a sheared pile. Tufted carpets are great at mimicking traditional designs and have gained popularity due to their ability to do so while still being economical. A high-quality hand tufted rug can successfully accommodate the hand knotted equivalent of almost 80 knots per sq. inch. The rug’s pattern is stencilled on a primary backing material. Once the tufting is complete, a secondary cloth backing is attached to protect and anchor the stitched yarn
HANK
A bundle of yarn twisted together in different lots and quantities
Hard Twist
In relation to the hand spinning process that a yarn undergoes. Hard twist is when during manual spinning, the personnel apply extra pressure on the yarn fibres giving it a hard twist which ultimately results in an uneven texture during weaving of the carpet
Herbal Wash
A process of washing using herbs such as tea leaves, soap nuts, tree bark, orchid stems etc. This is done to achieve one of two things – either to restore an old carpet as the above-mentioned herbs act as cleansing agents for natural fibres like wool, silk and jute or to give a certain kind of appearance to a newly woven rug such as tea stained fringes
Hooked Rug
Yarns are pushed through the back of a canvas cloth and pulled back through to form a design
I
Indigo
A deep blue shade like the denim used in jeans etc. The reference can be traced all the way back to the natural indigo dyes that were created using certain plants
Indoor/ Outdoor Carpet
A term synonymous with carpets that can be utilised both indoors and outdoors and have been
tested for exposure to water, dirt and sunlight
J
Jacquard Loom
Originally developed in France, this is a mechanical loom used for weaving rugs in intricate designs found mostly on tapestry and other kinds of knitted fabrics
Jufti Knot
A false knot which is tied to four instead of two warps while weaving the rug. This is used for lower quality rugs and is a time saving technique in production
K
Khotan
A design originally made in the Eastern parts of China. The trademark of this design are its three medallions seen in shades of either red or purple
Kilim
A type of flat woven rug with Persian designs that usually contain some geometric patterns in them
Knot
A knot is what forms when natural fibres such as wool, cotton or silk yarn are looped around the warp threads which are then ultimately clipped by the weaver as he/she settles the weft into these knots
Knot Count
The number of knots in a square inch of a rug
L
Latex
A mixture of chemicals created using synthetic rubber or plastic accompanied with adhesives made specifically for rugs. Natural latexing was a common phenomenon in the industry over two decades ago, however, the availability of nuanced techniques has made synthetic latexing far more efficient, economical and reliable. This process is conducted mostly for hand tufted, handloom or flat weave style of rugs where an additional cotton cloth or net like backing is required for dimensional stability
Loom
Refers to a set up of horizontal or vertical beams tied together using cotton warps that hold them tightly in place. Looms can be vertical, horizontal, fixed or mobile depending on the construction of a rug. Handlooms or shuttle looms are set ups where three or more people sit side by side working simultaneously using a cotton shuttle that moves swiftly across the width of the loom. In case of Dhurries, weavers can even use pit-looms or punja looms for intricate patterns. Hand Tufted rugs on the other hand have a different frame which is simply referred to as a loom
Line Count
A method of counting the knots in an Indo-Tibetan style rug. In this, the number of knots is counted horizontally within a foot of the rug. The more knots you have in a foot, the greater its quality
Loop Pile
This term is most often used in context to hand tufted rugs where loops of yarn form the pile on a carpet. This happens due to the nature of the construction technique used for such rugs wherein tufting guns drill loops of yarn into the cotton cloth. For hand knotted carpets, this occurs when the yarn is cut from the side using a clipping knife. Yarn colours when viewed from top and bottom can give different appearances due to the nature of the fibre which is why manufacturers use loop piles to show the top or cut piles to show the sides of a yarn
Lurex
A shiny fabric made from plastic and aluminium and is known for its durability. Mostly used in power looms as well as machine made rugs
M
Machine Made
In reference to rugs that are created using specific machines such as Wilton looms, Axminster etc.
Medallion
The central element of an Indo-Persian design. This is usually the most distinguishable aspect of a traditional rug and contains colours that make it stand out
Mohair
A type of yarn used mostly in making hand knotted rugs. This yarn fibre comes from a special type of double humped camel. The yarn has a luxurious shine on it accompanied with a soft texture
Mothproofing
A cleaning procedure implemented on different yarns i.e. wool, silk, polyester etc. prior to dyeing. This is to ensure that no yarn used in the rug attracts insects, moths etc.
Motif
A single element of a design’s section usually referred in context to traditional or Indo-Persian designs which have floral elements in it
Mottling
A technique used in weaving to achieve a gradient effect on the surface. In this, two to three dyed shades are taken together in such a manner that two knots of one shade are followed by one knot of another shade thereby giving a light to dark gradient to the rug
N
Nadhanni
A local term used by weavers in North India. This refers to the direction in which a hand knotted rug has been woven
Natural Dye
Any dye that has been created using natural sources such as plants, fruits, animals etc.
Natural Rug
Rugs created using natural fibres such as Jute or Sisal. These are commonly found in tonal colours of sand, beige, ivory etc. The yarn comes in natural undyed colours which help to create lovely textures in the rug
Natural Silk
Refers to the yarn made from natural sources and does not contain any artificial components or processes. Also known as pure silk
Nylon
A synthetic fibre known for its durability, shine and dyeing
O
Olefin
An alternate term used for rugs made from dyed PP (Polypropylene)
Oriental
A design term used in reference to rugs that were originally produced around the Chinese province
Over tuft
A technique used in rug production where certain patterns are tufted onto the rug after it has been woven. This is mostly used with flat weave rugs and creates a high-low texture with a strong foundation
Oxidised
A finishing technique executed by using a combination of partially burning the surface of the rug while also exposing it to certain chemicals during the washing process
P
Persian Knot
A technique of hand knotting where a single loop of yarn is tied onto two warps. In this, the yarn is looped from the back of one warp, taken around it and then looped behind the second warp.
Pile
The visible surface of carpet consisting of yarn tufts in loop and/or cut configuration. Sometimes called “face” or “nap”
Pile Crush
Loss of pile thickness due to compression and bending of tufts caused by traffic and heavy furniture. The tufts collapse into the air space between them. This may be irreversible if the yarn has inadequate resilience or the pile has insufficient density for the traffic load. Frequent vacuuming will lift the pile thereby increasing the carpet’s life
Pile Height
Height of the pile, measured by tenths of an inch from the top of the pile’s surface right till the base of that pile which touches the backing or warp/weft. Some manufacturers or sellers also measure pile height from the base of the rug
Pom Box
A box of colour poms that are either custom made or made by companies recognised industry wide such as ARS, SRI and Chromotone. The boxes contain woollen and art silk colour poms and have alpha numeric serial numbers
Primary Backing
This is done mostly for hand tufted rugs. It is the first layer of protective backing applied using a mix of chemicals before a cotton cloth is finally put over it. The backing resembles a net and is also known as action backing
Programmed Rugs
Refers to a consistent line of designs and colours with a minimum order quantity made by rug manufacturers/ sellers either for designers, wholesalers or retailers
Plush
Luxuriously smooth-textured carpet surface in which individual tufts are only minimally visible and the overall visual effect is that of a single level of yarn ends. This finish is normally achieved only on cut-pile carpets produced from spun yarns by brushing and shearing. Sometimes called “velvet-plush.”
Ply
FIRST | A single-end component in a plied yarn.
SECOND | The number that tells how many single ends have been ply-twisted together to form a plied yarn, e.g., two-ply or three-ply
Q
Qain
Persian family of designs originating from the southern regions of Meshad now modern-day Iran
Qum
Finely hand knotted Persian designs that started around 1930 in central Iran
R
Resilience
Ability of a rug’s pile to retain its original appearance and thickness after being subjected to compressive forces or heavy foot fall in public or private areas
Runner
An exceptionally long and narrow rectangular rug. Most runners in today’s market are between 2’6” – 3 feet wide and 6 – 20 feet long, and in some cases even longer. They are mainly used for spreading in hallways, staircases and entrances. In fact, it is for this reason, they are also called Corridor rugs
S
Scouring
Refers to a process where natural/ artificial fibres are washed intensively to ensure no dust or dirt remains after which they are spun either manually or in mills to create yarn. Yarn traders often use this metric to determine the quality of a fibre which is known as scouring yield
Secondary Backing
This is done mainly for hand tufted rugs where a sheet of cotton fabric cloth is applied onto the primary net backing giving the rug the kind of dimensional stability and support it needs in the long run
Semi-Worsted
Combing process that removes shorter yarn fibres resulting in a stronger and lustrous yarn. One must always remember, the longer the staple fibres, the stronger a yarn will be. The process conducted largely for woollen yarn is also one of the best qualities of wool available today
Serging
A finishing technique where the border/ edges of the rug are sewn using prescribed yarn colours. While this is done for aesthetic reasons, it also protects the rug’s pile from opening up
Shade Card
A small card prepared by mills which contain colour codes supplemented by a few strands of yarn for each colour. This is an exercise conducted either during production or for clients
who require custom rugs
Shading
An effect that causes a change in the yarn’s appearance due to the reflection of light coming from different angles. These distortions are natural and should not be treated as defects since dyed/ undyed natural/ synthetic fibres react differently when exposed to artificial or natural light
Shag Rug
These rugs are fluffy in nature with typically long piles made mostly from synthetic fibres
Sheen
A carpet having a high lustre or shine. This can either be a natural characteristic of the fibre such as silk/ art silk, mohair, polyester etc. or can be achieved through chemical washing
Sisal
A natural plant fibre found to be abundantly available indigenously around coastal areas. This fibre mimics the attributes of its natural counterparts such as sea grass and jute. A definite way to distinguish between these fibres is the shine, softness and strength that Sisal offers when compared to sea grass or jute. It is mostly used for making flat-weave and machine-made rugs
Soumac
A kind of weaving technique used for making flat woven rugs originating around eastern Europe. In certain parts of the world, people also write it as Soumak
Space Dyeing
A dyeing technique where the yarn is twisted in such a way that it absorbs the colours at random in different areas. Amongst all the dyeing processes, this one is the hardest to control or predict where each shade will occur once the yarn is woven onto the rug
Spinning
A technique of twisting carded fibres of wool, silk etc. to create long or short threads which then become yarn. This process can be carried out by hand or using a machine
Synthetic Dye
Technique of dyeing yarn fibres using chemicals
T
Tencel
An artificially created fibre using chemical procedures. It is known to closely mimic its synthetic counterpart i.e. viscose or art-silk due to the similarity in their manufacturing methods
Tip-Sheared
A technique of clipping used during the finishing process where the pile in certain areas is sheared lower than the rest of the carpet to create a ribbed effect. To achieve this, the weavers tuft or weave the carpet in such a way that the areas to be sheared are woven with a higher pile maintaining the required pile height in the remaining areas of the carpet. At times, one can also see this technique being employed to create a high-low pile surface to accentuate design elements
Tone-on-Tone
A colour reference made for designs which contain similar family of shades thereby giving a muted look to the entire rug. Some of the popular colour choices for this look are grey, beige, brown, charcoal
Transitional
A kind of design that embodies elements which are both traditional yet contemporary. This is also referred to as a mid-way between the two prominent styles – modern and traditional
Turkish Knot
A hand knotting technique where one strand of yarn is taken around two neighbouring warps from the front and then clipped
Twist
The winding of the yarn around itself. Should be neat and well-defined. A tighter twist provides enhanced durability
U
Underlay
A layer or padding done between the rug and the floor on which it is laid. This is applied for softness, noise reduction and durability. It also makes the rug feel warmer especially in the winter season
Ushak
Turkish designs originating somewhere in the south of Istanbul around the 15th century. These hand knotted rugs initially gained popularity as prayer rugs but later had widespread utility courtesy of the Ottoman Empire
UTARNI
A local term used by weavers in North India. The word refers to the side from which a hand knotted rug is taken off the loom. There are two sides to a hand knotted rug – Nadhanni and Utarni. This is the reason why the colours of a rug appear marginally different when it is seen from either side
V
Vegetable Dyes
An organic dye made using a combination of plants. These dyes are far more durable than the chrome ones now used commercially by rug merchants across the world. Their colourfastness is high and are less harmful when compared to chemical dyes
Viscose
Also known as Art Silk and popular for masquerading in the rug world as pure silk. While its presence in the textile industry is a lot more, rug owners will typically refer to this term with the intention of confusing customers everywhere
W
Washing
A process in which an area rug is washed (typically a hand knotted or a hand tufted rug) after it is woven to soften a rug’s colours and increase its lustre. The water used may be treated with chemical solution or tea or herbs to give the rug a distinct effect. This process is not a mandatory one in case of any kind of rug and is only followed if manufacturers want to implement it or have been advised to do so by their customers/ clients
Warp
Strands of fabric that run vertically across the length of the loom. Apart from hand tufted rugs that have cotton cloth to create both the warp and weft in a rug, stringing the warp is the first step in setting up a loom for almost all hand made rugs. This warp fabric can vary from basic materials such as cotton or wool to high end fibres such as pure silk, nettle etc. It is the warp which upon completion of weaving a carpet forms what we call the fringes that are tightly strung to avoid any instability in the rug. During weaving, the warp fabric is interlaced with the wefts that weavers put after every single line of knot in the carpet
WEFT
Strands of fabric that are tied around the warp across the width of the carpet. They are put in between rows of knots and hold the rug together. They are critical to the foundation of any carpet and much like their horizontal counterparts, can consist of various materials such as wool, cotton, silk etc.
Wool
The coat of sheep that is sheared, scoured and spun to create woollen yarn. Wool is the most frequently used pile material in handmade rugs.
Worsted
Before any fibre is spun into yarn, it is combed, then worsted to improve its quality by leaving only the longer staples of fibre for final spinning. This is done for greater strength, durability and lustre
X
Xinjiang
Family of oriental rug designs which were first woven around the north-west province of China
Y
Yarn
This is what we get when several fibres both short and long are carded either by hand or machines and then spun together either on a spindle or a mill. Yarn can be obtained from natural or artificial sources such as jute, wool, silk, art silk, tencel, polyester, nylon, cotton etc.
Y-Dyeing
A technique of dyeing yarn wherein the hank is twisted in such a way that the dyes penetrate the yarn unevenly thereby creating unique textures once the carpet is woven
Z
Zero Count Yarn
A type of yarn that is so low in count, it results in creating the thickest variety of yarn fibre there can be
Z-Twist
A yarn spinning technique where the fibres are spun anti clockwise. This can only be done by hand
