November 2, 2009

Basic Rug Terms

By now, you already know a lot of things about the different kinds of rugs, designs, colors available, styles and the materials used. Now how about some 101 on the jargons of the rug world? Knowing these words can help you in purchasing your rugs. You wouldn't be puzzled and could get right down to business of haggling, saving the merchant's time in trying to explain what the important words mean.

Abrash - term used for the changes in color of a handmade Persian rug. The change occurs because of an altered yarn or dye color during the process of the actual rug making. Antique rugs normally have a change in color naturally, but for some who prefer the more rustic look, abrash can be intentionally crafted to make the rug look older.

Aubusson weave - a French method of weaving by hand, also known as tapestry weave.

An Axminster can mean a kind of carpet, or a kind of loom. The Axminster loom was invented in the town of the same name in England and was an improvement on other looms of the time as far as the addition of colours and variation of designs were concerned.

Carding - the method of smoothening wool fibers accomplished by tugging the materials with the use of spiked paddles.

Denier is a unit of measurement for the thickness of yarn. A thick yarn or fibre is said to have a high denier, and vice versa.

As with types of rugs, there is Flokati - a hand woven rug from Greece once used as a clothing material. This rug is made from wool, which explains its soft and cottony texture. It is also one of the most expensive rugs around.

Flokati indicates a kind of hand woven Greek rug made from sheep's wool. Flokati rugs are soft and luxurious, and can be quite expensive.

Knot count - this refers to the number of knots in one square inch of a rug. In the assessment of rugs, one of the first things experts look at is the knot count. The quantity can determine the quality of the rug.

To know more about rug-making elements, familiarize yourself with these words, starting with Denier. This is a unit of measurement used for the yarn's thickness.

Luser means the shining quality and brightness of the fibres and yarns used to make rugs.

Kork is an important material for making wool rugs. It is extracted from the underside of the sheep.

If we're talking about the luster quality of a rug, we are referring to its Luser.

Pile is the face of a rug, the wool woven into loops that are perpendicular to the base of the rug. The height of a rug's pile is measured in tenths of an inch.

Pile weaving - kind of rug making technique that produces rugs by forming knots. Also called knotted weaving.

Warp refers to the stationary yarn on the loom, strong fibres that form the skeleton of a rug. Weft is the yarn that runs across the warp, giving body to the rug.

Discover where decorating with rugs experts do their shopping for rugs, and discover their favorite heart rugs.

Filed under About Rugs by Adam Everson

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