Hand knotted Nepal Carpets

You know the master by his work.

-Jean de La Fontaine-

Carpet masterpieces from Nepal are obviously the work of virtuosos! Gifted and experienced hands make carpet dreams come true – with an ancient technique. From sheep to hand knotted carpet from Nepal: The making of a hand knotted carpet starts with the sheep shearing. The won derful pure new wool is washed und dried before it is used for further processing. Afterwards the wool is carded by hand, by pulling the wool with experienced grip and carding it in one direction. This allows one continuing thread for the subsequent spinning. The naturally white spun yarn is now ready to be dyed in wonderful colours. This so-called piece dyeing is done by using traditional formulations to get the requested colour shades. With the help of a spectrophotometer every single colour is calibrated and realized with colour fidelity. Before the knotting can start some other preparations have to be made. The design specifications are drawn proportionally to the size. The cotton threads are tensed evenly and precisely on the knotting chair. This is very important in order to get a carpet of precise measurements and shape. Now the first knot for the carpet can be tied!

Tibetan craftsmanship knots with the traditional loop knot. These loops are put around a rod and afterwards sliced row by row. Thus the pile is spread and the carpet gets its marvelous fleecy character. When the carpet is finished, the pattern is emphasized by precise relief shearing. Colour and pattern elements are outlined by hand with scissors. Then the whole carpet surface is evenly sheared. The following refinement, the hand washing, is one of the most important steps in the process, responsible for the lively look of the carpet. The refinement washing gives the Nepal carpet its exclusive shine and the naturally shading surface structure. At the same time the carpet is cleaned from loose wool pieces and becomes soil-resisting. The carpet is spanned for drying, so it keeps its shape.

The last quality control includes a precise measuring and documentation of every single carpet. It takes time to do a thing well… Our handknotted Nepal carpets are purely handmade from the beginning to the end. It takes 12 to 16 weeks for such a carpet dream to come true.