Cabra: Wool and Jute Woven Together

The Rugberry Cabra rug is handloom woven in New Zealand wool and jute, so it has the dry, ribbed look of jute with wool softening the fibre underfoot. It is the middle path for a home that likes jute but wants something kinder to bare feet.

What is the Cabra rug?

Cabra is a handloom rug woven from New Zealand wool and jute, with a fine diagonal rib running across a plain colour. Rugberry describes it as firm and textured, with wool softening the natural irregularity of the jute.

It is stocked in six sizes from 5x8 to 12x15 ft, from about ₹34,000, and is listed in any size and colour to order. The edges are finished in a pale yarn that frames the colour, as the product photographs show.

The rib is the detail to look at closely. Wool and jute take dye differently, so even a single colour shows a fine play of lighter and darker threads, which keeps a plain rug from looking flat in a large room.

That variation also works in your favour day to day. A ribbed, two fibre surface hides the light dust of an Indian city flat far better than a smooth, even pile, which is one reason Cabra sits so comfortably at a front door.

Why choose wool and jute over plain jute or plain wool?

Choose wool and jute when you want the look of jute but find pure jute too coarse for bare feet. Jute alone is firm and dry; wool alone has spring and warmth; the blend sits between them.

For a home where people walk barefoot from room to room, as most Indian homes do, choose Cabra over a pure jute rug, because the wool takes the edge off the fibre. For a room that must feel truly soft, such as a bedroom, a pure wool rug from the Grain Collection is the better fit.

Jute for the look, wool for the foot. Cabra sits exactly between the two.

Which Cabra colour suits your home?

Choose Sand for a pale, quiet room, Olive for green and wood, and Rust for warmth in an entrance or dining room.

• Sand: the closest to undyed jute, calm on limestone, oak and white marble.
• Olive: a soft green that suits cane, teak and indoor plants.
• Rust: a terracotta that warms a north facing room and hides dust at a front door.

In a busy entrance, choose Rust or Olive over Sand, because a mid tone hides the daily grit that a pale rug shows within days.

Where does Cabra work best in an Indian home?

Cabra works best where jute would be the natural choice but feet are bare: entrances, living rooms and dining rooms. Being flat, it lets chairs slide and doors pass over it.

In a dining room for six, an 8x10 ft Cabra holds a table of about 3x6 ft with about 2 ft to spare on every side, so the chairs stay on the rug when pulled back. A flat weave also makes crumbs easy to vacuum after a family lunch.

At an entrance, the rib of the weave catches grit at the surface where it can be vacuumed away. Our post on rugs for high traffic areas covers placement at the door.

How do you care for a wool and jute rug?

Care for Cabra as you would for jute: keep it dry, vacuum it often and blot spills straight away.

• Vacuum twice a week in an entrance, weekly elsewhere, with suction only.
• Blot spills with a dry white cloth and very little water. Jute can mark if it is soaked.
• Rotate the rug end to end every few months so the wear and the sun spread evenly.
• In the monsoon, keep it off any floor that stays damp, and air it on dry days.

Our guide to wool and jute rugs compares the two fibres in more depth.

Frequently asked questions

Is a wool and jute rug softer than a jute rug?

It is gentler underfoot, because the wool softens the irregularity of the jute. It remains firm and textured, so it is not as soft as a pure wool rug.

Can a wool and jute rug go in a kitchen?

It can sit near a kitchen in a dry dining area, but not in front of the sink or stove where water and oil splash. Jute does not like water, and a blend still contains jute.

What sizes is the Cabra rug available in?

The Rugberry Cabra rug is stocked in 5x8, 6x9, 8x10, 9x12, 10x14 and 12x15 ft. It is also listed in any size and colour to order.

The look of jute, the kindness of wool. Material first. More in handloom rugs.