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Entry 1 - July 15th 2008

Indigo Dyeing Processes
Question emailed from customer.  "Why is there so much blue used in vegetable
dye oriental rugs?  What do they use?"-  Laura F. Lexington, KY
The RugMan's Blog
Natural indigo fermented and caked.
The beginning of a dye vat- notice the
murky yellow color.
Dye vats filled with cotton and wool.
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Entry 3 - July 21st, 2008

Hand-Spun Wool vs. Machine-Spun Wool
Question emailed from customer.  "What is the difference between hand-spun
wool and machine spun wool?"-  J. Bettis, Philadelphia, PA

    Rug dealers have their own language when it comes to describing individual
oriental rugs and their construction.  Two of the most often misunderstood terms
are “hand-spun wool” and “machine spun wool.”  Today, we will take some time to
explain the difference between the two.
    Before we get started, let us make a disclaimer.  The differences between the
types of spun wools are only that… differences.  One type is not better than the
other regardless of what any dealer tells you.  They are simply different methods
used to create specific end results for your rug.
      After wool has been sheared, cleaned and carded, and before it is dyed, it is
spun into yarn.  Spinning is the process of twisting together and drawing the
individual wool fibers into one continuous thread.  The amount of twist and the
grade of the wool will create vastly differing textures and properties of the finished
yarn.
      The technique of spinning wool by hand has been utilized for at least 3000
years.  It was the only way of producing yarn for wool until the late 1930’s when
machines were readily available to spin wool for rugs.  Most of the historical and
modern spinning has been done by females, usually a tradition passed from
mother to daughter.  This technique is time consuming and requires a skilled
touch to create a uniform, evenly tensioned fiber without breaking the strand.
      Hand-spun wool creates a nubby, “un-finished” texture that is easily
recognizable. This is due to the relatively low number of twists in the thread.  This
process also generally creates a thicker, heavier gauge yarn, again a natural
limitation of the human hand.  Because of this, you will not find as many hand-spun
wool rugs with extremely high knot counts per square inch.  While this is a
technical limitation of the finished product, it ensures the old world art form of your
rugs.  Generally hand-spun wool rugs are also vegetable dyed.
      To hand-spin wool, the raw wool is first leaned and carded to make sure that
all of the fibers are facing the same direction.  To bind the fibers end to end to
make a single long thread, the wool is twisted together. The more twist that are
applied, the stronger the yarn will be, but this will also require more work and
materials to make the same length of yarn.  The wool may be twisted by using
fingers, a spinning counterweight (such as a rock), or can be spun onto a spinning
wheel.  No matter the method, the amount of spin and tension among the yarn will
be inconsistent, creating the signature nubby texture and eventually also
contributing to the variation of dye color.
      With the advent of the industrial ages, and particularly the mechanization that
occurred because of WWII, most of the rug production began use of machine spun
wool after the late 1930’s.  While this affected the majority of the industry, many
smaller villages and tribal groups continued hand-spinning wool.  Today, hand-
spinning wool has seen a revival with many consumers looking for the old world art
form of oriental rugs.
      Machine spinning wool creates an entirely different product.  A rug that is
constructed using machine-spun wool will have a very consistent, nearly perfect
texture.  The machine has the ability to produce thousand of twists along the length
of the thread, and can even combine threads to further lengthen and strengthen the
yarn.
      Machine spinning wool also allows for a technique called “blending.”  Different
grade of wool are imported from as far away as New Zealand or Australia, and are
then added to the locally available wool to create grades of wool that are not
naturally possible.  This can produce extremely fine grades of wool that are soft,
shiny, and can be spun into very fine gauge threads.
      A machine spins wool into yarn by running the carded wool through rollers and
into spinners which produce thousands of twist per minute.  The finished thread is
then wrapped around a spindle.  The machine can produce over 1000% more
spun wool per day than hand-spinning.  This explains why the majority of rug
producers prefer machine-spun wool.
      So basically, that is the difference between hand-spun and machine-spun
wool.  You can achieve antique artistry or you can attempt technical perfection, but
each produces a very different look and feel to the rug.  Is one better than the
other?  Definitely not.  The ultimate value of the construction is in the eye of the
Hand-spinning wool in India.
A typical wool spinning machine.