Wool and silk rugs, hand-knotted in Jaipur
In the atelier, silk is woven into wool rather than instead of it. The pile is hand-spun New Zealand wool, and mulberry silk goes where the design needs light. Wool carries the rug; silk catches the light. This page explains why we weave it that way.
Why wool and silk, together
Wool and silk take light in opposite ways. A wool ground is matte and absorbs it. Mulberry silk carries a directional sheen that changes with the angle you stand at: lighter and glossier looking with the lay of the pile, deeper against it. Set silk into a wool field and a motif brightens and darkens as you cross the room while the wool around it stays calm.
That contrast is the reason to use silk at all. It turns a pattern into something that moves through the day, from raking morning light to lamplight in the evening, without a single thread changing.
Mulberry silk: where it goes in a Carpetstory rug
The silk is mulberry silk from China. We reserve it for the finer weaves and use it as accent threads in the field: the outline of a motif, a band of colour, a highlight meant to read differently from morning to evening. On a named rug in the collection, the materials are listed so you know where silk has been used.
Hand-spun New Zealand wool, the ground beneath the silk
The pile that carries the rug is wool from highland sheep in New Zealand, chosen because the fibre is long, lanolin-rich and naturally lustrous. It is hand-spun rather than machine-carded, so the yarn is slightly irregular and the surface stays alive under light. The warp underneath is long-staple Indian cotton, twisted to a density that holds the knots for decades.
Natural dyes on a wool and silk rug
Every colour starts as a plant: madder for the reds, indigo for the blues, walnut for the browns, in vats at the atelier. Natural dyes soften with age rather than fading, and no two dye lots are identical. The palette of each rug is set with that in mind, so the silk accents and the wool ground belong to the same colour story.
Hand-knotted silk accents, knot by knot
Silk is tied into the rug the same way as the wool, one Persian knot at a time, by the same artisan who weaves the rest of the piece. One weaver on one rug for six to ten months means the silk passages sit at the same even tension as the field around them. When the last row is tied, the weaver signs the back.
Silk in custom and trade projects
Material and palette are made to your specification, so a designer can choose where silk sits in a custom rug: which motif, which border, which highlight. The placement is shown on the technical sheet and in a physical sample before weaving starts, so the effect is judged in your hands and not on a screen.
For projects, the sample kit brings four twelve-inch squares woven to your brief, and the first four are on us. The trade desk replies within one business day.
Where to go nextSee the collections · How a rug is made · Hand-knotted rugs · Custom size rugs · Partner with us · Order the four samples · Inquire about a rug
Wool and silk rugs, answered
Are Carpetstory silk rugs pure silk?
No. In the atelier, mulberry silk is woven into hand-spun New Zealand wool as accent threads in the finer weaves. Wool carries the rug; silk catches the light.
Why does a silk rug look different from different angles?
Silk carries a directional sheen. It looks lighter and glossier with the lay of the pile and deeper against it, so silk motifs shift as you walk around them while the matte wool ground stays steady.
Where do the silk and wool come from?
The silk is mulberry silk from China. The wool is from highland sheep in New Zealand, hand-spun, and the warp is long-staple Indian cotton.
Are the colours natural dyes?
Yes. Madder for the reds, indigo for the blues, walnut for the browns. Natural dyes soften with age rather than fading.
Can I choose where the silk goes in a custom rug?
Yes. Material and palette are made to your specification, and the silk placement is shown on the technical sheet and in a physical sample before weaving starts.
How long does a wool and silk rug take to weave?
Six to ten months on the loom, depending on size and knot density, with one artisan on one rug from the first thread to the last.
How do I care for a wool and silk rug?
Vacuum without a beater bar, rotate the rug twice a year, and blot spills with cold water rather than rubbing. Have it professionally hand-washed every few years. A hand-knotted rug can be repaired knot for knot.