What is the difference between hand tufted and hand knotted?
In the making of hand knotted rugs, tiny threads are knotted by hand onto the backing called a warp/weft. The knots are later cut causing them to stand away from the backing to create the velvety pile of the finished piece. Hand tufted and hand hooked rugs are created using a tufting gun. The tufting gun, which works much like an oversized needle, pushes and pulls threads of yarn through a scrim (a pre-woven grid). In a hook rug, the loops of yarn remain intact to form a characteristically “knobby” pile. In a tufted rug, the loops are sheared to expose the thread ends for a softer, more “velvety” pile.
