New Collection unveiled at India Design ID 2017

What if a 2500 year old story can be told in new ways? What if the understated can make a statement?

At the recently concluded design event - India Design ID 2017, Hands was the most lively and vibrant booth among hundreds. The brand showcased carpets that could tell an ancient tale with new patterns, classic designs with a modern twist, outstanding geometric outlines, distressed look, minimalistic yet elegant, and never before seen shades.

The four-day long event showcased the passion and craftsmanship through a diverse new collection that caught the attention of a lot of people during the exhibit. It is indeed a great platform and an enormous opportunity to be a part of the design hub that is carving a niche for itself globally.
The Hands booth at the exhibit covered 320sqm which had more than 17 carpets ranging from traditional to contemporary styles.

The entry at the booth is praiseworthy with the arch like structure supported by pillars, a chandelier and an enthralling Zalij blue carpet in the background with a floral element in the forefront. Handcrafted with botanical silk, this classic impression carpet is inspired by Arabic architecture.

Zalij blue carpet at the entrance

Carpets that were displayed outside the booth include:

Flare multi coloured hand knotted carpet in pure silk, wool and linen.

Flare Multi Colour

Modern yet vintage in looks,  Ayna Emerald hand knotted carpet in pure silk, wool and linen.

Elixir Fuschia and blue carpet with a graceful pattern involves unexpected texture and depth. It is hand knotted in pure silk and hand carded wool.

Atia grey blue carpet from the Lost Heritage collection, hand knotted in bamboo and botanical silk.

Hands booth at India Design ID

The new Akasa purple gold hand knotted carpet in pure silk, wool and linen.

Drawing its inspiration from an unconventional world,  Mistral rust carpet is all the more appealing with a bold tint.

When one enters the booth, carpets belonging to different collection from Persian to Urbane are displayed. There was one carpet that took everyone by surprise -the 'Renaissance' carpet embellished on the ceiling. The carpet pattern resembles an Aubusson carpet, which has its origin in France.  These carpets have grand designs of frames and cartouches hung with garlands.  They have a clear, neo-classical, almost architectural monumentality and soft coloration reminiscent of Greco-Roman decorative arts.

Renaissance carpet on the ceiling

Every Hands carpet has a name which it has got from the pattern or the art woven on the carpet. But, here's an area rug named after its shape - Sphere, which was displayed on the table. This purple round rug is sculpted and has its colour emerging lightened as it moves to the centre.

Sphere sculpted carpet

On one side were carpets like Mirall, Marquise and Umbra and on the other side were Blossom, Kinetic and Alluriana. The new Mirall blue gold with abstract patterns which makes it both elegant and sophisticated. It is hand knotted in linen, pure silk, and wool. Marquise teal hand knotted carpet in bamboo and botanical silk gives it an organic feel. Umbra hand knotted carpet in pure silk and wool is one of the recherché carpets from the collection. Alluriana yellow beige carpet takes the centre with its inspiration from floral wood carvings. It is hand knotted in bamboo silk. Adjacent to it is the Blossom red black carpet from the Urbane Collection, which is knotted in Tibetan knot style with botanical silk. Right next to it is the Kinetic taupe carpet from the same collection with the same material.

From left: Umbra, Alluriana, Blossom, Kinetic 

Apart from the contemporary designs, the Persian carpet collection also graced the walls of the booth.  The collection includes- Isfahan hand knotted carpet in hand-spun wool, Guldani with floral patterns, Gumbad finely hand knotted carpet in wool and botanical silk, Gobekli hand knotted Turkish design in pure wool and Oushak inspired from early Turkish carpet weaving which is hand knotted in hand-spun wool.

The latest Persian carpet collection

New collection, stunning designs and vibrant colours is not all it was, the unique pieces also stirred the emotions of those who came to visit the booth. "Charming", "opulent", and "a warm feeling" are the words used by the visitors to describe the carpets. If only a glimpse can conjure so many expressions, imagine what the carpets can do when they are laid on the floors of your home.

Marquise teal and Mirall blue gold carpets

For the latest collection of fine handmade carpets, get in touch with us by following the link: http://hands-carpets.com/contact

The Story of a Hands Handmade Carpet

Ever stood on the seashore and felt like the ocean is pulling you back to the shores when you are actually just standing in the water? It's an amazing feeling isn't it? This experience stirs emotions in you, makes you feel delighted. Not unlike the emotion a hands carpets inspires. Our craftsmen, artists, designers, weavers and all those involved in the making of a carpet, make a covenant when they first begin to design one. With every effort they put in, they give life to the carpet and make it look piquant and beautiful. When it's ready, this carpet touches million hearts and finally reaches someone's home. And there it is, a piece of art, placed in your abode, so breathtaking, it stirs your soul.

Thought and innovation

The journey of a carpet begins much more prior to a thread, it begins with an idea. The designers reflect on a concept and finalise the design that needs to go into the next carpet. They have the liberty to vary the colour of the design to whatever they wish; it takes a certain experience to know just how the colour will reproduce with different types of yarn under different kinds of light. A carpet with the same design is made into three or more versions with variants in colour. Each shade is set against a pom for reference.  The artists transform the ideas from a hand-drawn sketch to a computer-aided drawing which requires precision of hand. It is drawn on graph paper and each square represents one knot. Outlines are filled in with paint to represent the detail in shades. The final sketch helps the weaver identify the pattern of the rug, and which colour each knot should be in. An expert weaver will rarely refer to the sketch. Printed designs are traced and marked to the minutest detail. Colours, ratios, number of knots, and techniques are described to communicate to a group of weavers the desired effect.  Now, the designs are ready for weaving.

Crafting the design of the carpet

Journey from wool to yarn

The finest cotton, silk and wool which is imported from New Zealand is used in the making of a hand knotted rug.  Wool being the commonly used material for carpets goes through several processes to get the desired yarn. Silk is used primarily for accent because it is not as strong and is more expensive. Cotton is sometimes used in the foundation, but is not seen in the pile. The combination of these materials makes for an extremely strong carpet. First, the wool is carefully sorted and cleaned shedding unwanted particles like dust and grease. After which it is washed thoroughly and dried under the sun. The wool is then spun by hand which is a time-consuming task but essential to get the perfect quality yarn. Besides, there are modern methods of feeding the wool into a machine or say spinning wheel that separates the wool and pulls it into different strands. This way the wool is spun into yarn. The yarn spinning process is repeated until the yarn becomes twisted and strong enough.  Some prefer washing the yarn again in clean water to remove all remnants of dust and waste. Once dried, the required amount of yarn is delivered to our factory in Bhadohi. The thickness of the yarn depends on the quality of the carpet.

Colourful yarns

Dyeing the yarn

Dyeing the yarn is the next step which involves stretching the yarn across the poles which are laid on the edges of a large round vessel. This is a traditional method and the yarn is repeatedly submerged into the dye to ensure the colour is even. Hands uses the natural dyeing method and our palette covers deep, vivid and luminous natural reds, yellows, blues and browns to the innumerable hues of synthetic dyes. A step up from there is the wheeling of the yarn into hot tubs. The dye is heated to a near-boiling temperature for a predetermined amount of time based on the colour, the type of dye and darkness required. If there are large volumes of yarns then the electrical vat serves as a time-saving purpose to dye larger volumes in shorter periods of time. Once it’s dyed, the yarns are steamed, washed and dried in the sunlight.

Dyeing

Yarn is ready

The yarn is then rolled up into large balls and sent to the weavers. Before the weaving begins, the weavers are given the carpet’s full design sketch on a graph paper for reference. Each square on the paper represents a knot in the carpet.

Looming

The hand-knotting process is spellbinding. One cannot take their eyes off of the rhythmic movement of the weaver’s fingers. Once the loom is set up, the vertical threads are tied on to the loom which are called warp. Warps are usually made of cotton, providing an ideal surface for a flat, straight rug. These threads eventually become the fringe of the rug. The weaver secures the warps by arranging horizontal rows called wefts and intertwines the warp to create the foundation of the rug. The weft is ordinarily made of cotton, wool or silk. The weft also creates the edges of the rug, which holds the rug together. This way knot by knot, inch by inch, the weaver works meticulously till the pattern is complete. A colour change in the pattern means a new thread, a new starting point.

Setting the loom

Hand Knotting

Depending on how extensive the carpet size, design and pattern is, a fine hand-knotted carpet can take months to complete. The finest cotton, silk and wool are used in the making of a hand knotted rug.  The weaver uses a hooked knife to cut the knot, and then ties the knot with his or her hands, and finishes the process by securing and tightening the rows of knots together with a comb-like tool. A scissors is also used to clip the threads evenly on the back of the rug. An experienced weaver can tie one thousand knots per hour and one knot every two seconds. This speed is picked up over a span of time. A carpet can be knotted by a single person or in a group on a vertical loom depending on the size of the carpet. There are different kinds of knots that are used to construct a hand-knotted rug. The type of knot used depends largely on the region and how the tradition was passed through the generations. Most countries weave rugs using the Persian knot. There are various kinds of knots, to name a few: Ghiordes, senneh, Tibetan and jufti. The knots are beaten down to ensure the carpet pile is compact. Hand-knotting is the most intricate and labour-intensive carpet weaving process in use today. It requires good hand eye coordination, dexterity of hand, a steady temperament and most of all, a little soul. There is a distinct artistic harmony to this skill, which seems to bind the soul of the weaver to the rug. This is why each rug holds an individuality that is difficult to reproduce ever again. Now you know why a knotted rug takes much longer to create and are more expensive than other types of rugs.

Hand-knotting

Final finishing

The finished carpet is taken off from the loom and the designs and patterns are trimmed using scissors. The carpet is checked for dimensions and against colour, pile quality and detail. After which it is cut to the desired size and polished which is called shearing. This is controlled by a machine and prepares the carpet for the finer aspects of finishing.

Carpets are finished in many ways, depending on the design. Boundaries between patterns are trimmed and cleared up and pile lines are sorted by hand. Embossing helps lift the pattern off the surface which is seen in our sculpted carpet collection. It is a process of shearing areas of the rug pile to create a three-dimensional look. Typically, sculpting accentuates the design in the rug. This process is very difficult and is performed only by highly skilled artisans. This way there are different kinds of finishes like textured, Saxony, cut pile, loop pile. All of these add depth and distinction to the carpet. Surging of the carpet defines its finished size. A craftsman loops yarn around the edges effectively marking the final steps in the making of a Hands carpet.

Trimming the carpets

Carpet washing

Lastly, the carpet is washed by soaking it in water and then the water is squeezed out which removes the dirt and any surplus dye. This way the carpet is washed several times until all the dust, detergent, dirt and yarn particles are removed. The carpet is then laid flat on the ground, and is cleaned by fresh water by forcing the water on the carpet with the hose. The rug washers then use a wood plank, sharpened on one edge, to force the water through the rug pile. This removes impurities picked up during the creation process. The rug then lies in the sunlight until it is completely dry to stabilise the colours. Meanwhile, the colours fade slightly, giving the carpet its beautiful hue.

The last touch

Packing

Before the carpet is sold, it is checked thoroughly and then rolled and packed. You will find a Hands label on every carpet.

Hands labels are stitched on the finished carpets

Your handmade carpet is ready

This is the story of the handmade carpet and all this happens in-house and seamlessly integrated in a tucked away place called Bhadohi. The carpet not only displays a perfect craftsmanship but also is a collective reflection of passion, time and dedication of the people involved in all stages of a handmade carpet. Only a person with a keen eye for detail and an art lover will acknowledge and understand the ardour and rigorous work that has gone into making each carpet. If you desire to have one, you can get it customized to your taste and enjoy what the graceful plush carpet that Hands has to offer.

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