What are weft and warp?
The weft and warp make up the foundation of a rug. The tassels at each end of most rugs are the ends of the warp. During construction, threads are wound over, under, and around two warp threads forming a knot. These knots are made one at a time from one edge of the loom to the other, forming a row of knots. In between each row of knots, one or more weft threads are woven through the warp threads creating a crossed pattern that hold the knots in place. The weft and warp in a wool rug are generally cotton, but can be wool. In very fine silk carpets, the weft and warp are usually silk, too. But in silk rugs with lower Knot Counts, a cotton foundation is fairly common.
