Hand-knotted rugs are handmade by tying or looping strands of yarn into the foundation (pile) of the rug. It takes an expert knotter an average of one minute to tie ten knots, so you can imagine how labor-intensive this process can be, depending on the tightness of the weave and the size of the rug!A hand-knotted wool rug is the most durable rug you can buy, and most last many decades depending on how well they are maintained. The oldest rug in existence is called the Pazyryk rug and is on display at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. It was discovered in Kazakhstan in 1949 and is believed to be as old as the 3rd century B.C.!
