All the rugs are hand made to the highest quality and finish in a cottage industry in Bhadohi, near Varanasi. Here are a few images from my last trip so you can see how they're made and what a special skill it is.
| 1. When an order is placed the design is adapted to the size and scale chosen by being drawn onto life size graph paper. |  |
2. Whilst the design is being drawn the wool and viscose is hand dyed to the shades specified. |  |
| 3. Rows and rows of it can be seen drying from everywhere in the village ...! |  |
4. The design is then individually hand knotted on a vertical loom using the Nepalese weave, always to the density of 100 knots per sq inch, or 9/25 as it is known in this type of weave. |  |
| 5. The weaver copies the design by eye, using the squares of the graph paper to guide him. |  |
6. Once completed the rug is taken off the loom and trimmed to ensure the right pile height and to remove any irregularities. |  |
| 7. It then undergoes a series of washes that help fix the colour as well as give the rug its lustrous looking sheen and softness. Finally it is laid out in the open air to dry and is stretched to the correct size. |  |
8.Me checking the designs. |  |
Some other images I thought you'd like:
| The weavers' families ...... |  |
Lunch break! |  |