A hand knotted rug is made twice

A hand knotted rug is made twice.
Once on the loom.
And once again in the wash.

When a hand-knotted rug comes off the loom, it isn’t finished.
It’s complete – but not yet revealed.

Washing is not cleaning.
It’s calibration.

This is where:
•⁠ the yarn softens
•⁠ the knots settle
•⁠ the structure evens out
•⁠ and colours finally open up

Depth appears. Balance becomes clear.

Water has no bias.
If the knotting was uneven, it shows.
If the colours were poorly handled, they clash.
If the yarn quality was inconsistent, it’s exposed.

A well-made rug becomes calmer after washing.
Everything comes together.

That’s why washing matters as much as weaving.
It doesn’t fix anything.
It simply reveals the truth.

And a rug that holds up here is one that will last for decades.