Great handmade rugs still have their place in today's market because people value good products and responsible companies.
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All The Rug Company rugs are entirely handmade and that's something we hear very seldom. When you know that crafting each rug takes four months, than you really start to appreciate the effort put in them. And, of course, they will last for a very long time. The Rug Company associates use the same techniques their ancestors used for hundreds of years. They only use wool from high on the Tibetan plateau rich in natural lanolin that is oily to touch. Nepal has a long tradition of Tibetan weaving and it clearly shows in all rugs.
But the company went further than just securing good products for itself. They are the biggest importer of rugs from Nepal and they provide sustainable employment to a large number of people. They are a key licensee of GoodWeave, an organisation dedicated to ensuring no child or forced labour is used. And they went a step further a small number of companies would do: they provide mobile health clinics that visit their production centres on a regular basis. That's caring for the workers other companies can only dream of.
There are many ways to make a rug by hand and many materials to choose from. Some yarns are smooth and cool to the touch while others are soft and warm. Beyond the usual wool, silk and cotton there are bamboo, banana leaf, mohair, merino and alpaca. Once a yarn is chosen there are number of ways in which it can be used to produce a handmade rug. Those different techniques produce a range of textural surfaces, from fine and flat to chunky and shaggy. Tibetan wool, for example, is collected from the fleeces of sheep living on the Himalayan plateau at high altitudes of up to 17,000 feet. It is unusually strong and springy and is exceptionally rich in lanolin, a natural stain barrier.
Silk is tremendously strong and in very old antique carpets it will often outlast wool, though it is considered more difficult clean. Mohair or Angora wool has a beautiful lustre that adds a richness and intensity to colours. The Merino fleece is famed for its fineness and delightful touch. The bamboo fibres are very long and strong and can be spun into a yarn that is lustrous like silk. Alpaca is thick and delightfully fluffy, making for a wonderful texture underfoot. Whichever rug you choose, you will see that it is of an exceptional quality. Your only task is to choose a design you like. ■
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