Wool

First step in rug making by skilled artisans begins on the high grasslands of the high Himalayan plains. Sheep from these plains are adapted to the harsh climate by growing wool that consists of long fiber, exceptional durability, softness and remarkable lustrous quality. Rigs made from Himalayan wool actually grow more beautiful as time passes by, developing  a silk-like sheen with age and use. The Himalayan after shearing by hand first cleaned and carded, then sun by hand into yarn that will become a rug.

Dyeing

After the wool has been spun, it is dyed according to the colors required in the designs. This important part of the rug-making process is, in itself, a highly developed craft. Since ages, Tibetan dye masters have learned a deep knowledge of the natural materials that could be used to create dyes for the rich palette of colors for demanding rug market. Natural herbal plants included indigo, mulberry, saffron turmeric, rhubarb root, walnuts, camellia tea, and many more. These days chemical dyes are increasingly used in dyeing yarns. Fortunately chemical dyes have come a long way and when used properly, they dyes are almost completely absorbed into the wool, are color-fast and leaving very few residuals in the waste water.

 Weaving

After preparing dyed yarns, the weaving process can begin Tibetan rugs are woven on simple vertical looms on which the wrap (the vertical threads the form part of the skeleton of the rug, usually cotton) is wound. The pile of the rug is created by lopping yarn around two warp threads, and then around a guide rod that lies perpendicular to the warp. The looping continues until the end of a row is reached. Once a row is completed, the rod is hammered tight against the row below. The weaver then cuts along the rod with a very sharp knife, cutting open the pile. The rod is removed and the row is beaten down against the previous row once again. The two or three weft threads are then inserted along the top of the row, the waver slides the metal rod back in above the weft, and a new row is started. This knot is known as a Senna loop. Rug weaving is central Asia east Asia use the Persian or Turkish knotting, in which each knot is tied, trimmed, and packed before the next one is started, resulting is knots that are square, elongated and continuous, Senna lops are tied off only when the weaver changes color or reaches the end of a row. These days many weaving combination such as lop/cut, higher pile/lower pile, silk/ Wool and natural fiber/wool are used in weaving Tibetan rugs and they are gaining popularity.