Rug Dye

Natural Dye
Natural dyes are derived from plant materials and insects such as indigo, madder, oak, sumac, pomegranate, cochineal and larkspur. Before the 1870s, they were the only source used to dye wool. Since the invention of synthetic dyes, there has been a great deal of debate about which type of dye produces a more beautiful and investment-worthy rug. Natural dyes tend to gently fade with time and therefore produce a sought after patina.

Aniline Dye
Aniline dyes are very acidic and often corrode the fibers in a rug. This type of dye was developed in the mid 1850s and is no longer used.

Acid Dye
Acid dyes are cheap to make, but the colors run.

Chrome Dyes
In the 1920s and 1930s, chrome dyes became a more reliable alternative to aniline. These synthetic dyes are more colorast and have a much wider spectrum of colors to choose from. Chrome dyes bind to the wool with potassium bicarbonate, which resists fading and does not weaken the wool. There are hundreds of chrome colors to choose from so many colors are possible that just cannot happen with natural dye.

Recap, making a hand made rug

Looking at posts can be at least a little confusing when trying to see them in order. So, here is a list of posts so far as they relate to making a hand made rug. This is pretty much the chronological process.

1. To See Rugs Made

2. Yarn for Rugs

3. Hand Knotting

4. Rug Washing Process

5. Washing to Drying

6. Drying and Sretching

7. More to do Before It's Ready

8. Wool and Silk

9. More Finishing

10. Final Finishing

Final finishing

One of these steps is fairly obvious as you can see binding or serging being applied. Note that on many machine made rugs this is a cloth or nylon strip that is sewn on but on a hand made rug, it is sewn one stitch at a time.

And now the fringe (or tassles). First, this is actually a part of the construction. It is the warp that runs from top to bottom. A few years ago it was common to see the fringe left 4 or 5 inches long but these day it is more common to see just an inch or two.

These warp threads are "gathered" into small bundles and tied together, often 3 or 4 at a time. The remaining length is then trimmed.

Now, thru nearly all of this manufacturing, it was men who were working. It was almost rare to find a woman involved in the process. (There were some in back in the pencilling area.) So to almost suddenly find a room with only women working on the rugs was a little bit of a surprise. And then to realize that they were not only finishing the fringe, they were also still clipping small spots over the rug. Incredible attention to the smallest details.

I observed to my host and guide, "I see that here in India it is the same as in the U.S." After his eyes got big I said, "The women clean up after the men."

The lady didn't reply but she sure grinned.

More finishing

A step that many of us haven't thought of before is called "penciling".

This involves carefully separating individual threads so that pattern and color details are more distinct.

Wool and Silk

Perhaps you have seen finely knotted wool and silk rugs where the silk has a deeper/thicker pile. Well, what actually happens is that the wool is trimmed down below the silk. (That can be a lot of trimming.)

More to do before it's ready

This part actually happens before the wash process talked about in the previous post. And, it mostly applies to yet another process to be talked about in future posts. And it also happens as part of the very last part of the manufacturing process. A lot of important steps in making a rug.

First, the rug is trimmed to an even pile height.

To do this, it must be combed

and is then cut with both electric tools and with almost ordinary looking scissors. Brush/sweep the surface, maybe vacuum and trim some more. The electric tool looked a lot like a router with a vacuum attached.

And those scissors have a bent handle that allows the cutting flat to be flat.

Drying and stretching

The cotton used as foundation and wool used as pile doesn’t dry at the same rate and may not retain shape equally so, part of this drying time is having the rug stretched into the original intended shape.

This process includes several adjustments of tension over several days.

Washing to Drying

Well of course, after a wash it must be dried. And Mother Nature provides the best system for that.

Yes that’s a cell phone tower off in the background. Much of India is much more “modern” than you may have expected.

The Rug Washing Process

The washing process looks deceptively simple but it provides a range of features to a finished rug. First and most obvious, it washes away tiny clippings, dirt and dust particles that may have become embedded so far.
Second, it can add a luster to the wool or a patina like a very old rug. And washing may not be done only once. It may be repeated, sometimes three times. While this can add cost to the rug, it will also add beauty to the finish.

Washing is a team job, with the team swiping the rug with their wooden paddles in unison. Some even say that the unison work adds a spiritual element to the job.
The wash water frequently includes a mild detergent or a chemical agent to change the colors slightly. One wash technique is called “tea wash”. (or henna) It is usually a second or third wash. You will find some who think it is a wonderful addition and some who bemoan it.

Hand Knotting a Rug

The generally accepted rule is that a rug is not a genuine oriental rug unless it is hand knotted or hand woven in that part of the world very broadly from Turkey to China.

There are differences in production from area to area. For example, in Turkey and Iran (Persia), the weavers are mostly women. In India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal, the weavers are mostly men. In China you will routinely see both.

While much has been said about the proliferation of child labor in the rug industry, the practice has significantly diminished and wasn’t what many said all along. A common misconception is that a child’s small fingers can tie smaller knots and therefore create a more valuable rug. The fact is, it is greater skill that is needed. Sure, nimble fingers are a factor but expertise is gained only from long years of experience. In some areas, primarily where it is women who weave, the skill is passed on from mother to daughter, and perhaps more often from grand mother to grand daughter. The weaving is done as part of a day’s normal activity….a little work on the loom after household duties are finished.

However, many of the rugs you and I will see are indeed produced on looms owned by the manufacturer (yes, even if it is located in the weaver’s home) with pattern and colors specified. (Remember reading about the rug patterns a couple of posts ago?) The manufacturers prepare the loom, furnish the wool (or silk or combination) and say, here ya go. Make me a rug. The weaver is paid for the piece, not the hours.

On my trip I visited a workshop where rugs are typically woven as tests of pattern/color or for an order that requires less time than would normally be allocated so only the highly skilled are employed.

He reaches up, identifies and separates two strands of warp thread, slips a thread of wool behind one, around another, pulls this “knot” down to the base, cuts it off and reaches back up for the next two warp threads. In less than 2 seconds.

These weavers typically tie 9000 knots per day. Sounds like an awful lot yet it takes months to complete just one 9 x 12 rug. And then the finishing processes begin with shearing to even out the pile followed by multiple washes and further shearing or carving. There are so many small details involved that books have been written on the subject but I’ll just show you a few pictures that illustrate the “high points”.


Next: It's still along way from finished.

Yarn for Rugs

For some years now, Rajasthan and Bikaneri Chokla Wool has been developed with sheep being bred with carpet wool production in mind. The result is a strong, lustrous wool well suited for making rugs. Sometimes, this Chockla wool is blended with New Zealand or Argentine wool. Either way, the results are long staple wools with soft silky touch.

The wool is combed, (sometimes blended) and spun into thread and yarn that is then dyed to exacting specifications. There are large automated processes and smaller hand worked batches. Most of us would have a hard time telling the difference in the end product.

A pretty large batch of wool in the dye process.

Not as large but still considered large batch.

.

Now we're getting into small batch dyeing.
The yarn is rotated into the hot dye.

This batch was almost finished.

He clipped off a small piece and dried it in front of an ordinary space heater to compare with the master sample.

A small piece is kept for batch number reference.

Next stop will be the warehouse

where each bundle is cataloged

and stored for a future rug.

To see rugs made

After years of interest, collecting a couple dozen books on oriental rugs, and yes, a few rugs of my own, I decided it was time for me to see rugs being made in person. Jaipur, India was an excellent choice for that.


I was fortunate to have had a source here in the states to arrange contact with a specific manufacturer. One of their executives met me at the airport and graciously provided me with car and driver during my stay. (They drive on the left side of the road plus traffic is truly mad. Every driver absolutely must take advantage of even a 8 inch gap between other vehicles. If you go, let them do the driving.)

My first full day was spent as a tourist. The 400 year old Amber Palace is stunning. Among the patterns hand carved in stone are many that often inspired design elements in carpets.

More pictures are at http://itsaboutrugs.com/India/Amber/index.html

The next day began with carpet design.
Rug maps (sometimes referred to as "cartoons") or a Naksha are still drawn by hand in many parts of India but my host has computer aided design programs that provide every detail needed for each pattern. For example, this makes it much easier to design a rug that will be available in several sizes, or perhaps a pattern made in more than one set of colors.Then the final drawing has specific yarn samples attached to identify where each color is to be used.
More pictures are at http://itsaboutrugs.com/India/Design/index.html

Next up, I'll talk about the wool yarn and preparing it for use on a hand knotted rug.