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Tibetan Rugs-Customizing Your Rug For Today's Contemporary-Modern Living

Tibetan rugs continue to grow in popularity as their style reaches as far as a soft and casual contemporary, to a highly sophisticated transitional. The simplicity of Tibetan carpets radiate a kind of mellow sophistication and comfort where America's style is landing. Handmade Tibetan rugs have attained 60% of the market share in rugs being purchased in America.

The traditional, Tibetan rug making, hand craft is an ancient skill that stretches back hundreds, if not thousands of years. In their nomadic tradition, these rugs primarily served practical purposes, such as: for horse saddles, for seating carpets, and for wall hangings to keep warm in the harsh Tibetan winters. Once the Chinese invaded Tibet in 1949, it forced thousands of Tibetans to flee to Nepal and India. Bringing their skills of rug weaving with them, the Tibetan refugees created carpet industries to support themselves and their families. The Tibetan rug industry began to revive in the 1970's when they began to export their rug creations to the west. Shortly after, the designs broadened from small traditional Chinese and Buddhism motif rugs to large area rugs with simple modern and decorative designs and palettes suitable for use in western living. The concept was to combine the ancient art of Tibetan hand knotting with original contemporary designs to create an evolving collection of rugs crafted with structural and artistic integrity. Tibetan rugs have grown into one of the largest and sought after rug styles in America.

Tibetan rugs are made with high quality Tibetan wool harvested from highland sheep in the Himalayan Mountains. Himalayan wool is known to be some of the finest wool in the world and is known for its lustrous, resilient, lanolin-rich content. There is a 10-step process followed in the making of a Tibetan rug.

1.Harvesting

Harvesting of wool from Himalayan Mountain sheep takes precedence to gather the most sought after, luxurious wool.

2.Washing

The harvested wool is gently washed to remove impurities and to preserve the natural lanolin.

3.Drying

The wool is naturally dried in the sun to preserve resources.

4.Sorting

The sheep are not bred for uniformity; therefore, the wool is sorted according to color. There are varying natural whites, beiges and dark shades of browns and blacks.

5.Carding

Using a metal bristled brush helps to comb and align the wool for hand spinning.

6.Using foot pedals

Foot powered wooden wheels help to spin the wool into yarn, again preserving our natural resources.

7.Dying

Dying is done in energy efficient containers to save energy and to help control color intensities.

8.Weaving

The weavers follow a pattern shown on a full-sized graph in front of them so they know sequentially, which color yarns to use. One technique for weaving is tying a Tibetan knot which increases the density of the pile. There are many qualities ranging from 40 knots per square inch to 200 knots per square inch. 40 knots per square inch creates a very heavy, chunkier pile and needs a higher gauge cotton foundation on the loom. The 40 knots rugs are relatively easy to weave and are woven quickly. 60 knot rugs are better than 40 knot rugs because they appear slightly more refined and are slightly sturdier. 80 knots is considered to be a mid-range quality and the higher the knot count per square inch, the more labor is used in a rug's production. 100 knots is a very high quality weave and lighter in weight because of the finer knots and finer gauge cotton foundation. The knot count can go as high as 200 knots per square inch and these rugs are much more labor intensive. Silk is used in higher quality rug for adding accents of luster and dimension. The sheen can make the rug extremely elegant and dramatic throughout.

9.Shearing

Once the rug is complete, it is then sheared down to make the rug's pile even.

10.Dying

The final step in the rug process is to send the completed rug to a washing plant to clean it of impurities and sometimes to add a color and/or luster to the rug overall. Customizing rugs is huge in the Tibetan rug industry. To customize a luxury carpet is a personally gratifying investment that will be valued for years to come. Designers and clients are empowered when they have the ability to create a one-of-a-kind rug which is inspired by their own imagination(s), or by incorporating their own palette into an existing design. There are over 300 color poms (yarn color samples) to choose from. A variety of textures can be achieved through loop and cut piles techniques, with wool and silk combinations, and by using antique weaves. One also has the ability to custom their rug size up to 30 feet wide by 40 feet long. The options are endless when creating a highly personalized rug that is as distinctive as the individual that owns it.

Tibetan rugs will not only bring warmth, style and beauty to your home, but they will enable you to feel socially responsible. Tibetan rugs are a part of Good-Weave (formerly known as Rug-Mark), which is an organization that ensures ‘No Child Labor' in the carpet industry, and they offer educational opportunities to children in South Asia. Tufenkian and Tamarian, to mention only a couple Tibetan rug companies, are a part of Good-Weave and also contribute a percentage of their yearly sales to The Social Justice Program in Nepal. This program benefits 9000 employees and their families by helping to provide schooling, shelter and health care. These rug companies are also advocates of Eco-Friendly conditions and products. Companies affiliated with Good-Weave ensure chemical free washing and only make their rugs with GREEN products. Tibetan carpets go hand in hand with luxury and sustainability.