Rugberry Journal

Arctic Wool Rug in a real living room, hand tufted New Zealand wool with ink marks on an ivory ground.

Reading the Back of a Rug

Turn a rug over and its construction is plain to see. Here is what knotted, tufted and handloom backs look like, and what to check the day a rug arrives.

Grain Wool Rug in Russet in a styled reading corner, handloom New Zealand wool in a warm rust tone.

Construction

Warp and Weft Explained

Every knotted, handloom and flatweave rug is built on warp and weft, the same frame of threads as a handloom sari. Here is how it works under the pile.

Savannah Jute Rug in Natural in a styled living room, hand knotted jute with a firm, textured surface.

Buying Guide

Why Handmade Rugs Have Small Irregularities

A handmade rug is never machine straight. Here is how to tell expected variation from a real fault, and how to check a new rug fairly when it arrives.

Stratum Knotted Rug in Cinder in a styled study, hand knotted New Zealand wool on a dark oak floor.

Abrash

Abrash: The Tonal Shifts in Handmade Rugs

Abrash is the soft banding of tone across a hand dyed, hand knotted rug. Here is what causes it, how it differs from a fault, and what to check on delivery.

Ombré rug in a styled living room, hand tufted New Zealand wool in a slow gradation of tone.

Colour

How Wool Takes Colour: Dyeing Explained

Wool yarn is dyed in batches, and no two batches are quite identical. Here is how yarn dyeing works, what a dye lot is and how to plan rugs that must match.

Grain Wool Rug in Russet in a styled dining room, handloom New Zealand wool under a table for eight.

Cleaning

Which Rug Fibres Are Easiest to Clean

Wool, jute, silk and recycled fibres behave very differently with a spilt cup of chai. Here they are ranked for cleaning at home in Indian conditions.

Savannah Jute Rug in a styled living room, hand knotted jute in a warm golden tone.

Care

Do Jute Rugs Shed: What to Expect

Jute rugs do shed, as short brittle fibre and a fine dust rather than soft fluff. Here is what to expect on a floor that is swept every day, and how to reduce it.

Savannah Jute Rug in a styled living room, hand knotted jute in a warm straw tone.

Fibres

What Is Jute: The Plant Fibre Behind the Rug

Jute is one of India's most familiar fibres, from gunny sacks to rugs. Here is how the plant becomes a rug, and how it behaves on your floor.

Plush Wool Rug in camel in a styled living room, handloom wool with a deep, quiet pile.

Care

Why New Wool Rugs Shed and When It Settles

Fluff from a new wool rug is loose fibre left over from spinning, not the rug coming apart. Here is why it happens, what to expect and how to handle it.

Cashmere Blend Rug in Salt in a styled bedroom, handloom wool and cashmere under a low bed.

Alpaca

Alpaca Rugs: How the Fibre Compares to Wool

Alpaca is soft, warm and almost free of grease. Here is how it compares with wool and cashmere on a floor, and where it suits an Indian home.