Carpets of Muzaffarabad

Carpets
Kashmiri carpets are world famous for two things - they are hand made and knotted. Carpet weaving in Kashmir was not indigenous but is thought to have come from Persia. Most designs are mostly Persian with local variations. The colour scheme of the carpets differentiates Kashmiri carpets from other carpets. The colours are subtle and muted. The knotting of a carpet is the most important aspect. In addition to the design of the carpet, the knots per square inch determines the durability and the value of a carpet.

Stretched tightly on a frame is the warp of a carpet. The weft threads are passed through, the "talim" or design and colour specifications are worked on this. A strand of yarn is looped through the warp and weft, knotted and then cut. The yarn used normally is silk, wool, or silk and wool. Woollen carpets always have a cotton base (warp & weft) and silk carpets usually have cotton base otherwise silk is used.