Knitted Rugs, Tufted Rugs
Tufted rugs are knitted. They were made when balls of cotton or woolen rags were knitted with large needles into strips of some six inches in width, and then the strips were sewed together to get a rug of desired dimensions. The knit rugs that made their appearance toward the end of the Eighteenth Century and the start of the Nineteenth did not find a period of peak beauty in rugs. It is probably for this reason that the knit rugs that survived appear to suggest a folk-art less truly decorative than practical. They are said to have originated in North Carolina.

Hand-Tufted Rugs
This article features information about what hand-tufted rugs are, straight from a rug designer, Joan Weissman. You can browse her styles and learn about history. Hand-tufted rugs of pure New Zealand wool, carefully crafted in our US workshop, offer unlimited colorations, perfect adherence to design detail, and a variety of cut and loop piles. Joan Weissman's gouache rendering is enlarged and traced onto a stretched canvas. The tufting specialist follows each fine line and contour of the original artwork, bringing the design to life. It is then backed with natural latex, and trimmed by hand. Shading, tweeding, unusual textures, shapes, and complex installation preparations are easily achieved with hand-tufted rugs.

About Tufted Rugs
A hand tufted rug is made without tying knots into the foundation. The area rug is actually made by pushing wool or arcylic yarn through a primary backing, which creates a tuft. Once the tuft is created, a latex glue is used to hold the tufts in place. A secondary foundation, or scrim, is then added to the hand tufted area rug, which is then covered by a third and final cloth backing. Shearing the tops of the looped tufts to create the pile is the final step of making a hand tufted area rug. The height of the pile is determined by how much yarn is cut off, and how far the initial loop was pushed up. Hand tufted rugs can be made faster than hand knotted rugs, making them less expensive. The tufting method creates a highly durable and beautifully accurate handmade rug that will weather foot traffic for many years.

Hand-Tufted Rug Resources
Historically, carpet has been a general term given to any loom-woven or felted textile and to grass floor coverings. The term was also used for table and wall coverings, as carpets were not commonly used on the floor in European interiors until the 18th century. The hand-knotted pile carpet probably originated in Mongolia or Turkestan between the 4th and 2nd millennium BC. Carpet-making was introduced to Spain in 10th century by the Moors. The Crusades brought Turkish carpets to all of Europe, where they were primarily hung on walls or used on tables. Only with the opening of trade routes in the 17th century were significant numbers of Persian rugs introduced to Western Europe. There is not a lot about hand-tufted rugs on the Internet, so this site is chocked with available information.

All You Need to Know About Rugs and Dhurries
Area rugs and traditional Indian Dhurries are becoming very popular due to the fact that they can be swapped and traded from room to room with relative ease, allowing homeowners to redecorate much more inexpensively and simply than they could if they had a traditional carpet. This site offers hints, tips and advice on purchase, use and care of a wide variety of area rugs and other types of rugs. Area rugs come in a number of colors and a variety of styles, everything from braided, to shag, to wool, to woven, to hooked and many other sytles. Area rugs are designed to cover just a small area. Indian Dhurries add a more ethnic flavor to a room. Care should be taken to match the color of a Dhurrie with the rest of the room. When purchasing an area rug or a Dhurrie always measure the area that needs to be covered first and never buy on impulse. Color and size should be prdetermined ahead of time. Know ahead of time what kind of area rug you are looking for, hand knotted, woollen, woven, braided, hooked, tufted, rag, Oriental, shag, Flokati, Sisal, Tibetan, Persian, etc. Know the shape as well as the size you are looking for before you start your purchase. It makes a great deal of difference whether you are looking for a square, round, oval or some other shape to fit into a particular place. Be aware that older rugs often cost more than newer rugs, but be further aware that some rug dealers give their rugs a chemical wash to make them appear older (and more valuable) than they really are. Lastly, when you buy a rug of any type, be sure to ask the dealer for specific instructions for washing and cleaning the rug.