Knowledge

Hand-knotting is carried out on a simple loom as shown in Figure 13.2. 

Hand woven fabrics are the basis of carpets, while fluff is made by introducing knots of another material, such as wool yarn. The weaver will weave a bottom cloth of about 150 mm, and then insert the first row of knots on the warp. They will be a Persian knots (Figure 13.4) or a Turkish knots (Figure 13.5).

The knots of pile yarn are tied in by the weaver, who brings forward a back warp-thread level with the next front thread and knots the pile yarn around them.

The knots are pulled tight and the yarn ends are cut to the length needed.

After each row or part of a row of knots is finished, insert two weft yarns:

1. Pass through the shed formed between the front and rear warp yarns, and then

2. A reverse shed formed by temporarily pulling the back half of the warp forward.

The teeth of a heavy comb or beater pass between the warp ends to beat the weft in place and make the knot firm.

The nature of the knot and its insertion ensure that the hair cluster is at a very acute angle to the back (or the position of the villus). Because each cluster is completely separated from the next cluster, weavers have unlimited fields in the selection of patterns that can be produced and the number of colors that can be used.

In hand-made carpets, the main goal is to plug as many pile clusters as close as possible to form luxurious pile. This is why these carpets have always been known for luxury and quality. In contrast, however, in woven carpets made on modern looms, the most economical pile yarn is usually required due to the high cost. Therefore, in contrast, the density of tufts is low.

As a finishing treatment, hand knotted carpets are usually strongly washed and brushed in water to clean them and improve the uniformity of pile laying. Usually, chemical solutions promote the washing process to increase luster, soften color and usually give an antique appearance.

Gun tufting is another method of making carpets by hand. It is actually dedicated to wool. A hollow needle inserts a cluster of specific colors of a specific color anywhere in the carpet to make artistic wool pendant or spectacular carpet design for luxury places. Use mechanized and manual tufting guns. Use scissors to carve fluff along the boundary between adjacent pattern elements to highlight the carpet design.

Carpet tufting originated in the tufted bedspread (candle wick) industry in the United States in the 1920s. Before and after the outbreak of World War II, coarse tufted carpets began to be manufactured by machines near Dalton, Georgia. The technology was soon improved and can be used to make wide (i.e. wall to wall) carpets.

In the past 60 years, the growth of carpet tufting has been amazing. Now it is the main method of making carpets (including wool). Factors contributing to the growth of tufted carpets include the steady increase in the range of cheap synthetic fibers for carpets, the development of a series of innovative machinery and the increasing affluence of consumers in developed countries.

Tufting is a more efficient process than weaving on machine looms, especially for plain carpets, but it is not so common in pattern. With the increasing complexity of tufting pattern, the production speed becomes slower, but it is still faster than weaving.

Various types of wool carpets can be manufactured through the tufting process, from finer yarns for velvet and hard twist types to very coarse count yarns in some loop pile products. Although pattern options are more limited than woven carpets, they can produce attractive geometric designs.

Figure 13.2  Loom for hand-knotting carpets.  Source:  Wood, 2006.

Figure 13.4  Persian knot for hand knotted carpet.  Source:  Wood, 2006.

Figure 13.5  Turkish knot for hand knotted carpet.  Source:  Wood, 2006.

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