4
WHAT GOES INTO
WOOL RUG FRO
PROBABLY MORE
To s tar t wi th, not jus t any wool. New Zealand wool has a high lanolin content ,
so i t 's s trong, lus trous, and our top choice for our hand-knot ted rugs.
The rough wool is sent to India, spun by hand, dyed in great vat s and dr ied in
the sun – the f irs t of two sun dr yings that give our rugs their depth and sheen.
Using a technique unchanged for hundreds of years, our craf t sman ties thick cot ton
s tr ings to a wood f rame to build the foundation of the rug. Color ful yarns hang
wi thin arm's reach above him.
He pulls down each color as he needs i t , winds i t def tly through the s tr ings, knot s
i t and slices the yarn wi th a cur ved kni fe. Knot by knot , a row appears. The intr icate
design reveals i t self as the rows s tack up and the colors combine.