Craft techniques
At LAYERED, every rug is handcrafted by specialized artisans in Bhadohi, India, and Greece. Many have inherited their craft through generations, each mastering a specific weaving technique. Hand-knotting, flat-weaving, and tufting are separate disciplines. The technique chosen for a design determines its surface, texture, and durability.
Here, we present the techniques that shape our centerpieces.
CONSTRUCTION: HAND-WEAVING
Handweaving is a craft in which the rug takes shape directly on the loom, thread by thread. With a practiced hand, the weaver guides the weft yarn through the warp, row by row – work that demands rhythm, strength and a trained eye for the right tension and density.
The result is a rug with a solid, unified construction where surface and foundation are one and the same piece of craftsmanship – and where every rug carries the mark of the weaver who made it.
Below, we break down the techniques of hand-weaving we use and their qualities.
HANDLOOM
In the handloom technique, the weaver sits at a traditional loom and weaves the rug by hand. The yarn is woven in loops around slender rods that determine the height of the pile. Row by row, the weaver presses the yarn into place, creating a dense, even and supple rug with a clean, refined expression.
The pile can be executed in three different qualities:
Cut Pile
Here the loops are cut open as the weaving progresses, so that the pile stands upright with free yarn ends. The result is an even, velvety surface with a soft feel and a subtle sheen that shifts with the light. A classic, elegant quality that suits most settings.
Loop Pile
Here the loops are left intact, creating a denser, lower and more textured surface. Loop pile is highly durable and dimensionally stable, and it conceals traffic marks well, making it an excellent choice for areas exposed to heavy daily wear. The expression is cleaner and more graphic than cut pile.
Cut & Loop
Cut & loop combines cut and looped pile in the same rug. As the weaver alternates between the two techniques, sculptural relief effects are created, allowing the pattern to emerge in three dimensions. Perfect for adding extra depth and tactility to a design.
PUNJA
In the punja technique, the rug is woven on a vertical loom, where the weaver interlaces the weft yarn around the warp threads and packs each row tightly with a panja – a comb-like metal tool whose curved teeth move between the warp threads, and whose name comes from the Hindi word for claw. The force of every stroke determines the density of the rug, and it is the weaver's practiced hand that produces the firm, even weave the technique is known for. The result is a solid, durable rug where the pattern emerges clearly and evenly.
Flatweave
Flatweave is a completely flat rug without pile, where the pattern lies in the weave itself. It is thin, hard-wearing and easy to place – and often reversible, with the same pattern on both sides.
Pitloom
A pitloom is a traditional loom that is partly sunk into the floor, with the treadles placed below ground level. Hands and feet work in unison: the feet shift the positions of the warp threads while the hands guide the weft yarn through the warp and press each row tightly into place. It is one of the oldest loom types still in use – and the rhythm between hand and foot produces a dense, even and durable rug.
The technique is executed in three different qualities:
Flatweave
Flatweave is a completely flat rug without pile, where the pattern lies in the weave itself. It is thin, hard-wearing and easy to place – and often reversible, with the same pattern on both sides.
Loop Pile
Here the yarn is woven into loops that are left intact, creating a denser, lower and more textured surface. Loop pile is dimensionally stable and conceals traffic marks well – resilient enough for the most lived-in spaces. The expression is cleaner and more graphic than a cut pile.
Shaggy
Shaggy is woven with an extra long pile: long lengths of yarn are anchored in the weave and bound off, row by row, while the pile is left long and free. Because every strand stands unbound and can move freely, the fibres settle in different directions, creating the deep, airy volume that is the hallmark of a shaggy.
CONSTRUCTION: Hand-knotting
Hand knotting is the oldest and most labour-intensive craft in rug making. At a loom, artisans tie every single knot by hand around the warp threads – row by row, knot by knot – and a single rug can hold hundreds of thousands of knots and take weeks to complete.
This patience and precision create a rug where the pattern is part of the very construction: a dense, supple and exceptionally durable rug, as beautiful on the back as on the front, that ages with dignity and is often passed down through generations.
Below, we present the two different qualities of hand-knotting we use.
Cut Pile
In the hand-knotted cut pile quality, the pile is trimmed to an even, low height once every knot is in place. The result is a dense, velvety surface where every detail of the pattern emerges with sharpness and depth. A timeless quality that combines elegance with exceptional durability.
SHAGGY
Our shaggy builds on the ancient Greek flokati tradition, where an extra long, airy pile creates a deep, inviting and remarkably soft surface. After knotting, the rug undergoes the age-old flokati finishing: it is bathed in ice-cold, rushing water in man-made waterfalls that recreate the natural force of a mountain stream. The water pressure, the cold and the friction cause the wool fibres to open up and soften – entirely without mechanical processing – and this is what gives the shaggy its characteristic volume, lustre and vivid, tactile expression.
CONSTRUCTION: Hand-tufting
Hand-tufting is a craft technique in which skilled artisans guide the yarn through a stretched canvas using a handheld tufting gun – loop by loop, colour by colour – until the pattern emerges. Every rug is shaped by the artisan's hand and eye: steady pressure, a confident line and years of experience determine how crisp the contours and how vibrant the surfaces become.
The technique is chosen for its great design freedom – each rug can be made in any shape, size, colourway and pile height – and the result is a dense, soft and durable rug with a genuinely handmade character, where the back is sealed and finished with a fabric backing for stability and a long life.
Below, we present the three different qualities of hand-tufting we use.
Cut Pile
In cut pile, the yarn loops are cut open so that the pile stands upright with free yarn ends. The result is an even, velvety surface with a soft feel and a subtle sheen that shifts with the light. A classic, elegant quality that suits most settings.
LONG PILE
Here the yarn loops are left intact, creating a denser, lower and more textured surface. Loop pile is highly durable and dimensionally stable, and it conceals traffic marks well, making it an excellent choice for areas exposed to heavy daily wear. The expression is cleaner and more graphic than cut pile.
CUT & LOOP
Cut & loop combines cut and looped pile in the same rug. As the artisan alternates between the two techniques, sculptural relief effects are created, allowing the pattern to emerge in three dimensions. Perfect for adding extra depth and tactility to a design.
FROM TECHNIQUE TO MATERIAL
The weaving technique shapes how a rug is made, along with its surface and texture. Equally important is the material that shapes how a rug feels, wears, and ages. All natural fibers respond differently to the same technique, which is why the two are always considered together in every LAYERED design.
Learn about the fibers we use and their properties in our curated material guide.
