ORGANIC RUGS

Sheep are the first stage in carpet making. We call this our Organic Line because from sheep to rug, all the processes are organic and natural. The sheep are hand sheared and the wool is separated initially by colour into beiges, creams, taupes and various shades of brown. Natural washing with water, repeated over and over, removes the accumulated detritus of small sticks, leaves and other material picked up by the sheep while grazing. This process is repeated until the wool is soft, clean and pliable. All the wool yarn in our organic line is handspun by locals, both for the pile and for the weft. The various shades are then compared and selected for the weavers to work. The knotting is relatively coarse with alternate warps partially depressed, resulting in a firm, floorworthy texture. In this carpet, the dark brown is achieved without the use of dyes. Dark brown sheep are generally unwanted, but here we prize them for their deep and rich coats. Close attention reveals variation within each knot, an effect which only undyed wool can achieve.
We have here adopted a simple bichromatic palette, with ecru-cream dominance, and a dark brown broken and intermittent line, triangle, and lozenge skeletal pattern originally appearing on Moroccan Azilal Berber carpets. This carpet, and our entire Organic line, was woven in India. The pile is shorter and more closely compacted than on the vintage Moroccan prototypes. Informality is the stylistic key here. The incomplete lattice lets the owner complete it in the imagination. The dark dashes are randomly set and further dark bits peep out in the light reserves. There is only a true border at one end and the sides show small dashes. Moroccan and Moroccan-style carpets are having a day, with their directness, lack of fussiness and stripped down palettes working with modern decors. This piece continues this stylistic trend. Another Organic Diamond Carpet will have a variant design, but still retain the general facture. No two Diamond Carpets are identical, a true sign of hand craft. They are woven in standard sizes of 8 by 10, 9 by 12 and 10 by 14.
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