Sian West
White Knots
What are white knots and why does my rug have them?
What are 'White Knots'?
‘White Knots’ commonly found in Persian, Chinese and Oriental rugs, is a term used to describe the white tufts* that appear, seemingly at random in the pile of your hand knotted rug either over time or more noticeably after cleaning. The foundations of a hand knotted rug are made up from Warps and Wefts, most often with cotton yarn. Warps run the length of your rug and the fringes/tassels of your rug are created from these, (not all hand knotted rugs have fringes). Wefts run from left to right /side to side of your rug. When the weaver is warping the loom, or during the weaving of the rug the cotton could snap or the yarn comes to an end, when this happens the weaver will simply tie the yarn together creating that ‘White Knot.’ *They are usually white as the foundations of hand knotted rugs are often made from white cotton. However they will be what ever colour the foundations are.
What Causes Them to Appear?
In new Hand knotted rugs, these White Knots are buried deep within the rugs pile and therefore not noticed, it is only with everyday use that they begin to work their way to the surface, however as you use your rug and the dirts and soils build up, the white knots become dirty and therefore often blend in within the rugs patterns. It is usually after you have your rug cleaned that you may notice just how many and how white these tufts are and it is likely that you haven’t noticed them before.
Why are they more obvious after cleaning?
The cleaning process hasn’t caused these white knots in your rug, they were already there. However, they are now clean and bright meaning they seem more obvious. As you use your rug you’ll notice that they will once again start to blend in overtime, as foot traffic and soiling makes them darker and less noticeable.
Can they be removed?
White knots are not a sign of damage nor are they anything to worry about, they are simply a characteristic of a genuine hand knotted rug.
Do NOT cut them as this could cause a hole to form in the foundations of your rug!
If they bother you, there are options such as spot dying to make them blend in or they can be pushed back down into the foundations very carefully. Professional spot dying is recommended for a much longer lasting solution.