Pile Material in Oriental Rugs

Mostly the pile of hand-knotted rugs are wool especially in Uttar Pradesh (India). Pure silk is consumed, partially (15/25 per cent) that too in high quality rugs (often Rayon is substituted for silk to keep the price competitive). That little use of silk enhances the sheen and luster of the rugs greatly. The precondition is that the quality of carpet-wool is not poor.

New Zealand Wool is considered as one of the best carpet-wool and for good quality rugs its use is most common because it is abundantly available

Usually Semi-Worsted wool yarn is consumed in high quality rugs. The use of worsted wool yarn which is considered best carpet-wool, is consumed consumed either occasionally or when an order is placed for that. Both types are made from long fiber New Zealand wool - the difference lies in the length of fiber and spinning technique and micron (A micron (micrometer) is the measurement used in wool classing to measure the actual diameter of a wool fibre. The smaller the number the finer the fibre). These two types of yarn are consumed in high quality knotted rugs.

New Zealand yarn not spun in worsted or semi-worsted technique is also considered good quality carpet-wool. yarn if they are not blended with other inferior wool fibers. However blending is quite common for rugs that are not at the higher end.

Some Indian fibers are nearly as good as New Zealand wool but their yields are not much. Mostly the Indian fibers are course and are generally used in rugs having low knot density or in other weave of carpets e.g. Tufted, Handloom, Tibetan etc. Roughly five types are used in Bhadohi/Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh) carpet industry. They are:

1) Silk/wool
2) Worsted wool
3) Semi-Worsted wool
4) 100% New Zealand
5) Blended yarn (New Zealand and Indian fiber in different ratios).
6) Indian wool

However this is not the end of story. Besides New Zealand, wool is also imported from other countries but not in significant quantity.

Synthetic fibers are also rampantly used. Most often it is blended with poor quality wool for giving strength to yarn. 100% per cent synthetic is also consumed in many lower end quality rugs. Thank God, these yarns are not being utilized in high quality knotted Persian design rugs.

Cleaning Tips For Rugs & Carpets

Rugs need special care to ensure long life preservation.

Vacuuming:
By frequently vacuuming, you can prevent soils from building up. Vacuums with good suction are recommended to lift surface dirt. Before removing surface dirt it is necessary to agitate the pile to loosen the dirt which may have sunk to the core. A vacuum with a beater or brush bar can better lift the residue embedded in the rug

Cleaning:
Oily substances deposited on the rug cause matting as piles get stuck together that lead to formation of ridges and the colors dim. If not removed immediately, it becomes hard to clean. Always use clean clothes or paper towels, warm water and a suitable cleaning substance (see table). To avoid altering the rug's texture does not rub as fuzziness may result.

Removing Stains:
Basic cleaning steps for typical everyday stains:
1. Scoop up or blot as much of the spill as possible
2. Absorb as much of the liquid that's left with a dry cloth/paper towel by blotting.
3. Apply warm water to the stain then blot again If the stain remains visible, mix warm water with a mild non-bleach laundry detergent. Using a clean cloth apply some of the mixture to the stain and let it soak for 5 minutes. Rinse the stain with warm water and blot it well to extract the residue. Repeat until there is no detergent on the rug.
When satisfied and the rug is completely dry, vacuum the area.
Specific Stains:
After identifying the source and nature of the stain apply following method.

Stain	Cleaning Agent
Tea, Coffee, Wine	Talcum Powder the warm water &detergent
Vomit	Warm water & detergent then dry cleaning detergent
Urine	Warm water & detergent then white vinegar and water
Chewing Gum, Wax	Freeze with ice then shatter. Vacuum clean & wash with warm water and detergent
Blood, Alcohol	Warm water & detergent
Asphalt, Butter, Make up, Shoe Polish	Dry Cleaning Solvent then Warm Water & Detregent

Note: The methods Provided are for information purpose only. We can not be responsible for any damage. Services of professional for cleaning rugs highly recommended

Persian Design Rugs - Ideal For Setting The Right Mood

Your home tells your guests a lot about your personality, likes, dislikes, and character. There are many ways to set a mood or make a statement. One of the best ways is to unroll beautiful Persian Design Rugs in your home.

These rugs are hand made, beautifully designed though originated in Iran have taken a well entrenched root in India. More and more of the world have been accepting Indian Persian rugs. Its demand has been growing is being produced in many areas of India. But Kashmir and Bhadohi (UP) are well recognized as the main centers of rug making.

Indian Persian rugs have achieved the magnificence Iranian rugs used to be. Indian rugs too are produced with in wonderful hues and patterns but still behind Iranian rugs. After all this skill has been perfected over 2500 years so who would expect anything less. During ancient times the Iranians were one of the first carpet weavers. Throughout the centuries they have used ingenuity combined with talent to design a carpet that stands out above the rest. If there was an award for excellence in carpets the Persian rugs would win hands down.

The Moghul prices who ruled large part of in India brought carpet weavers from Persia sometimes in 11^th century, thereby introducing the the art of handknotted pile carpet-weaving in India. Persian models were copied first and still are woven in large scale, some Indian tradition soon developed.

But Persian rugs always have been the choice of connoisseurs and being exported to all over the world especially to USA and Europe. And mostly they have the same fancy names that Iranian traders use like Tabriz, Kashan, Isfahan, Bijar, Bakhtiar, and Kerman to a few which are actually the name of Iranian cities.

Click Here to see the pictures of India Persian Design Rugs.

HANDKNOTTED RUGS

Though carpet weaving skill (hand knotted) is 2500 year old but it took root in India during 16^th century. By the end of 19th century Bhadohi carpet industry got a fillip only when orders for knotted rugs started trickling from United Kingdom. By the mid 20th century, other countries of Europe and North America came calling and the carpet business got a wing. Since then the trade have been souring barring a few years of lows in 1990s.

To day, besides knotted rugs, other weaves – Tibetan, Tufted, Loom, Flat weave – are also have set their base here about which you will get info later.

A knotted rug, especially with high quality, has always been the choice of elites and still has the pride of place simply because; it takes months and high skilled artisans to produce it.

The given picture is of quality Persian design rug having 180 knots per sq inch the materials used are cotton for back and its pile is a blend of pure wool and pure silk. The quality is always available but you have to check the availability of design or choose from other designs that are readily available. For more, Click Here

For The Common Good

During seventies and eighties the Indian handmade carpet industry had a sizzling pace of growth. Massive demand for carpets from western shores outpaced the supply because the huge demand led to shortage of weavers.

Resultant there was huge influx of labor from the neighboring states. To exploit the opportunity extensively, child labor too was brought in droves.

Thanks to a few activists, this horrifying reality came into light in the later part of the eighties.

The terrible news got wings and spread like wild fire which reached to countries of the west which were the chief consumers of this craft.

Carpet importers became wary and as a precautionary measure started asking for affirmation that the carpets being supplied are free from child labor.

But the damage has already been done.

The industry which was going at a fast clip saw sharp drop in its export simply because magic of media reached even to consumers who avoided buying handmade Indian carpets.

IKEA, a Sweden based multinational, which bought Indian rugs in great quantities, found itself in a tight spot.

At one point in time it was about to stop sourcing carpets from India but good sense prevailed and it decided to bring discipline into its Indian suppliers.

Thus I-Way (Ikea-Way) came into existence which required that its suppliers should follow the norms set in its I-Way - norms which required abide by not only tenets spelled in its I-Way but Indian labor law should also be adhered.

No doubt, besides Ikea, there appeared many non-profit organizations (NGOs) who are still working for the elimination and rehabilitation of child labor of this industry.

But the greatest catalyst of them all, I believe, was Ikea and its I-Way, which was very effective in making the general public aware of the abuse and making the Indian carpet dealers' observant with the vulnerability to the trade from this immoral practice.

Many manufacturers even got themselves registered with organizations such ISO and other Social Compliance Audits

Undeniably these measures contributed considerably to fight the abuse of child labor from this industry but the problem is still prevalent not insignificantly.

Problem still exist simple because carpet industry is cottage industry and is spread deep into the unapproachable hinterlands.

In fact, I believe, that active involvement of the whole industry can prove effective to wipe the problem from its root.

The idea is that each manufacturer worth its salt must take up a social cause that is targeted for the welfare of deprived children.

At this end, we at AAFRIIINZ intend to adopt the village Nai Bazar - a village where we live-in - with the objective of taking its people in confidence.

This undertaking, we believe, becomes possible if our approach is value based - if we are able to make people aware with the values of life - that is caring, sharing and sensitive to social mores.

If we are sincere, it won't be hard to make these simple folks to partner for this common cause.

May be we prove ourselves an example to be followed by others.

And, of course we would like that our audience be a part of this problem-solution process to and send their suggestions if they feel like so.

Happy Independent Day

On August 15, , India was celeberating Indian Independent Day but how the British media covered this occsion is worth noting.

Mainstream British newspaper have been running 'India at 60' series', while the The Times, London produced an special India supplement and The Gaurdian devoted its entire feature pull out to "The New India".

The Gaurdian India Special's theme was expressed by its cover headline that announced:

"This is the best place in the world to be born right now"

The Indepent's attempted to answer the question

"60 years after partition, why is India is doing so much better than Pakistan"

The pape said, "Now at the age of 60 , India's image is that of an resurgent, confident regional power racing to compete with China and the West".

India is getting appreciated all over the world and this is a matter of great jubilation. What according to Times of India, we lack is real 'LEADERS'. For which its "LEAD INDIA" innitiative 'India seeks her future leader' is a step in right direction.

Let us hope that Indian carpet industry too grows with leaps and bounds in the times to come.

Heart of Design

Design is everything and the heart of design is its color. Right colors help sell a product better. The question is how to get the right colors?

One of the most wanted source for color is US based  HYPERLINK http://www.colormarketing.org Color Marketing Group (CMG) whose color palettes are hot favorite all over the world. CMG relies on its 1000 plus color experts, designers and pigment specialists. “These experts gather twice a year in the US and then twice a year abroad where they examine the sociological, economic and political trends influencing life all over the world,” so says Bobby Schlesinger, spokesperson for CMG, the world leading authority on color trends.

Schlesinger says that two years back CMG predicted some colors that are hot favorite today. Among the colors they predicted were the botanical greens and the earth-toned neutrals, the deep, classic, ethnic red and oranges.

Color consultant Latika Khosla in Mumbai, who heads Freedom Tree Design, finds Indian manufacturers are beginning to get curious about color forecasting. “They are going beyond listening to just a handful of designers who’d choose some pretty colors.” Says Khosla, co-chair, Asia Pacific Rim, CMG. Manufacturers and brand owners in India are beginning to see their products need to be in sync with the color trends to crack open western export market” she says,

Orange, red, pink – these vibrant Indian colors are getting hot favorite among fashion and design circuits. CMG advises manufacturers for keeping an eye out for pink. Aqua ferozi trend is also in the market.

Many Indian carpet manufacturers get their designs and colors from their buyers. These buyers, most probably, keep a sharp watch on the trends and choose colors that syncs well with the fashion. But there are many who develop there own design. I hope the Indian Carpetwallahs too keep a close watch on the international color trend that goes well with rest of the world.

Source:  HYPERLINK http://www.businessworld.in/content/view/1589/1649/ "

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Kaleej Times reports that

Iran unveils “world’s largest carpet” for UAE

To see the full report Click Here_