Journey of a Hand-Knotted Rug

The Journey of Our Hand-knotted Rugs

The semi-annual rug event at Saybrook Home is continuously our most anticipated event. For one week only hundreds of rugs are transported to our showroom for customers to shop and explore. Our clients marvel at the craftsmanship and beauty of these one-of-a-kind pieces - truly works of art in their own right. But, what most don’t realize is that their arrival in Old Saybrook (and now Glastonbury) was precipitated by a long, interesting journey that begins halfway across the world by artisans in small villages that have perfected their craft over centuries. 

Where the Journey Begins

One of the most renowned regions for rug making is Persia, known today as Iran. Persian rugs, celebrated for their intricate designs and impeccable quality, have been crafted for centuries, each rug telling a unique story of the region's culture and craftsmanship.

Similarly, countries like Turkey, Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan have also been pivotal in the evolution of hand-knotted rugs, each contributing distinctive styles and techniques to the craft. These rugs often reflect the cultural influences and artistic sensibilities of their makers, resulting in a kaleidoscope of colors, motifs, and weaving methods.

Superior Materials and Craftsmanship

At the heart of every hand-knotted rug lies an unparalleled level of craftsmanship, passed down through generations of skilled artisans. The process of creating these exquisite textiles is a labor-intensive endeavor, requiring precision, patience, and a deep understanding of the materials involved.

Traditionally sourced from sheep, wool is the primary material used in hand-knotted rugs. Its natural properties, such as durability, resilience, and ability to hold dyes, make it an ideal choice for rug weaving. 

Wool is sheared, washed and hand spun. The spun wool yarn is wound on large wheels, rotated through a boiling dyeing process and laid out in the sun for natural drying. This solidifies the resiliency of the coloring and prepares the wool yarn to be knotted.

Design

Many of the rugs brought into Saybrook Home feature heirloom designs passed down for generations. Despite following a template, each rug is unique due to the intricacy of the knots being done by hand as well as the colors coming from the all-natural dyes.

Finishing

After multiple washes and drying in the sun, the final steps include finishing off the edges by surging them by hand and shearing the rug to ensure a smooth finish. It is then rolled tightly for transport to protect from any damage on its journey to the United States. 

To learn more about the care and maintenance of hand-knotted rugs once they're in home, click here. 

From our Showroom Floor to your Home

Once the rugs arrive here stateside, the team here at Saybrook Home can visit to hand select which pieces we want to include in our upcoming events. Sometimes we get to see them being unwrapped for the first time as they arrive from overseas. It’s like Christmas morning every time! 

A couple days before the rug event, the collection is loaded onto a truck and delivered to our showroom floor. Our amazing warehouse team goes to work stacking and organizing sometimes upwards of 500 rugs for the week-long event. 

When the doors open on the first day of each rug event, our customers are thrilled to see a brand new selection of unique rugs - essentially something for everyone. Our team is always on hand to help flip through the stacks of rugs in search of “the one” for our clients. And, designers love the opportunity to invite in their current design clients and offer them the special opportunity to shop this extensive collection beyond what we regularly offer in our Old Saybrook Showroom. 

Our very first Glastonbury Rug Event kicks off this week. We’ve shipped in over 350 rugs in all sizes and styles for one week only. No appointment is necessary to peruse the collection, though you may schedule an in person consultation with one of our designers for extra assistance shopping the rug event. 

To learn more about the different styles of rugs we select, and how to match them with your aesthetic, read more here.