WHERE INNOVATION MEETS TRADITION

WHERE INNOVATION MEETS TRADITION

208 West Kinzie Street, Fifth Floor Chicago, Illinois 60654 312.828.0400 shiirrugs.com VOLUME 2

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It begins in 2010, the result of an inspired collaboration between

internationally renowned interior design firm Soucie Horner, Ltd.,

and third-generation rug purveyor Oscar Isberian Rugs. Together,

we’ve traveled the mountains and hillsides of South Asia. Explored

ancient rug-weaving techniques alongside artisans who’ve practiced

them for generations. And experimented with ways to honor

sumptuous raw materials while driving design in novel and unex-

pected fashion.

The result: SHIIR Rugs. Handmade masterpieces that venture far

beyond the realm of qualities you might expect. They’re opulent,

moody, edgy, sexy, and complex, embodying a peerless, rough-luxe

sensibility. We like to say SHIIR is where innovation meets tradition.

It’s where the centuries-old hand weaver’s art is celebrated not by

reliance on convention, but by our passion for originality. Where

luxurious fibers are revered as well as romanced, accentuating

inherent qualities of color, texture, luminescence, and hand. Where

inspiration – in the form of antique textiles, Cotswold mosses, a

vintage mirror, and even the cap of a forest floor mushroom – waits

only to be noticed, captured, and reimagined. Where nuances

of material, knot count, finish, wash, shearing, country of origin,

pattern, and scale are exhilaratingly reinterpreted.

OUR STORY

SHIIR Rug Guide 3

OUR PARTNERSHIP

With diverse backgrounds in design, development, manufacturing, and sales, each of SHIIR’s founding partners contributes a unique set of experiences, qualifications, and skills to our company. Some of us, trained in the arts, set a standard for refined taste and gracious living; others, with decades of industry access, possess global reputations as rug trade veterans.

Individually, we’ve earned recognition for our work and respect from our peers. Together, we have created a company whose foundation is the knowledge and the know-how that bring our ideas to life in a way our competitors can only dream of.

This is part of the reason SHIIR rugs are unlike others you’ve sold before. They’re an exceptional combination of exotic materials, innovative designs, and artisanal weaving techniques. But perhaps the most unusual factor can be traced to the extraordinary personal relationships SHIIR’s founders have with weavers living halfway around the globe.

Unlike most rug companies, which are typically bound to parameters of material and knot count set by various rug distributors, SHIIR dialogues directly with our artisanal partners to direct the qualities that define our rugs. This, thanks to three generations’ worth of family ties between us. In fact, we sit beside the very men and women who weave our rugs – artisans who learned the craft from their parents, and their parents’ parents. Together, we explore. We experiment. And we learn from each other. These weavers have been energized by our innovative ideas, our enthusiasm, and our relentless pursuit of thrilling new ways to alter – and augment – the ancient art of rug-weaving. Together we push boundaries, to create sumptuous rugs of unparalleled beauty.

Our founders have been nurturing relationships with these loom masters for more than 75 years. It is the reason we’re able to travel overseas and collaborate with them directly. It is the reason we are known as the bridge between the modern design world and the centuries-old world of rug-weaving. And it is the fundamen-tal difference between SHIIR rugs and many others – one worth remembering, and conveying to your clients.

WHAT MAKES SHIIR DIFFERENT?

Our founding partners, from left to right:

Martin Horner, Sarkis Tatosian, Oscar

Tatosian, and Shea Soucie. Together, we

bring design, sales, manufacturing, and

marketing expertise to SHIIR Rugs.

Understanding the key differences between SHIIR Rugs and other rug lines will make it easier for you to sell SHIIR Rugs with confidence.

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SHIIR Rug Guide 5Our Story

SUMPTUOUS MATERIALS, DESIGN EXCELLENCE, AND INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES

Of course, relationships alone don’t account for our uniqueness. So do materials, design, and technique. We weave only the finest fibers into our rugs, including wool, silk, mohair, cashmere, and pashmina.

Not only that, but these exotic fibers actually drive our designs. Before we create a design, we experiment with materials. What offers the highest sheen? The softest hand? The richest texture? Only once we’ve answered those questions do we

begin to create designs that best showcase the inherent qualities of the materials we choose. This, too, is a distinct difference between SHIIR Rugs and other rug lines, many of whom select or create a design, and then simply pick a fiber from which to weave it.

Our techniques, too, are unusual. Actually, they’re quite innova-tive! We oxidize. We embroider. We mix materials. We push boundaries because we can – because our artisanal partners are just as interested in innovating as we are. Together, we join in an exciting exploration of possibilities.

These are all reasons our tagline is “Where Innovation Meets Tradition.” It summarizes, in just four words, the philosophy upon which SHIIR is founded: Respect the ancient art of the hand-weaver, but do so in new and imaginative fashion.

sales

design marketing

manufacturing

Naturally, SHIIR respects the traditions that

distinguish the rug-making industry. Yet to us,

innovation is just as important – which is

why we choose to work with artisans who are

as dedicated to experimentation as we are.

From design through delivery, our rug

production process intersects continually,

allowing SHIIR to incorporate feedback from

our showroom partners and interior design

clients at every step along the way.

CLIENT

SHIIR Rug Guide 7What Makes SHIIR Different? Our Story

OUR PROCESS

Inspiration Conceptualization

• Research

• Translation of idea/object into two dimensions

Design

• Determine texture

• Determine knot count

• Overlay pattern

• Determine colors

Materials Selection

• Determine ideal fiber for design

• Procure material

Yarn

• Yarn preparation

• Blending

• Carding

• Twisting

• Spinning

Dyeing

• Color matching

Graphing Sampling Weaving

• Loom set-up

• Persian

• Tibetan

• Jacquard

• Hand-tufted

Finishing

• Washing

• Shearing

• Stretching

• Edge finishing

Quality Control

• Final inspection

Fulfillment

• Shipping

Installation

• Fiber Seal

• Rug pad

SHIIR Rug Guide 9

DESIGN PROCESS PREPARATION PRODUCTION COMPLETION

Our Story• SHIIR was founded in 2010 by renowned

interior design firm Soucie Horner, Ltd., and third-generation rug purveyor Oscar Isberian Rugs.

What Makes SHIIR Rugs different?• Exceptional combinations of exotic

materials.• Innovative designs, driven by material.• Artisanal weaving techniques.• The extraordinary personal relationships

our founders have with our weavers.

Sumptuous Materials, Design Excellence, and Innovative Techniques

• We use the best types of wool for carpet production, and unusual materials such as pashmina, mohair, and cashmere.

• Unlike other rug manufacturers, we experiment with fiber to drive design.

• We employ innovative techniques such as oxidizing, embroidering, and mixing materials.

Inspiration• We continually explore, refine, and pursue

new ideas.

Conceptualization• Fiber is the first step toward inspired design.• Ideas are translated into a two-dimensional

object.

Design• Texture and knot count are determined.

Pattern is overlayed and colors are selected.

Our Process• Every rug begins with the luxury fiber from

which it’s woven.

Materials• Wool, in general: Sheared from sheep.

Spins beautifully into yarn, accepts dye easily, is extremely cleanable due to its high lanolin content, and doesn’t crush easily.

• Wool used for most of our Nepalese production: tends to have the longest fibers and highest lanolin content, resulting in exceptional luster and stain resistance.

• Wool used for most of our Indian produc-tion: blended from five different types of wool, hand-carded together. Results in a tremendous amount of color variation, known as abrush. These variations are a prized hallmark of SHIIR rugs.

• New Zealand Wool: is particularly easy to dye. Yields a velvety look.

• Silk, in general: an extremely strong fiber, but can be somewhat difficult to clean. Offers incredibly high sheen.

• Chinese Silk: machine-carded and machine-spun for consistent dyeing and smoother texture.

• Indian Silk: hand-carded and hand-spun, for more abrush and chunkier yarn.

• Mohair: sheared from Angora goats. Small, fine fibers are bound with wool. Extremely durable.

• Mongolian Cashmere: finer than other wools. Incredibly soft hand, and ultra-luxurious.

• Pashmina: an even finer, more expensive type of cashmere. The most luxurious fiber of all in the SHIIR rug line.

• Cotton: creates the most stable founda-tion possible; is the foundation for nearly every SHIIR rug.

Yarn• Yarn is created by transforming a puff of

animal hair into something that can be woven on a loom.

• The methods we use to cause that transformation are called carding and spinning.

• Most of our rugs are hand-carded and hand-spun.

• This yields an inconsistency to the thickness and surface texture of a rug, which accentuates its hand-crafted artistry.

Dyeing• All our fibers are dyed by hand, set in the

sun to dry, and checked against a control sample.

• There are three types of dyes: herbal (vegetable); natural (undyed); and synthetic.

• Synthetic dye is colorfast and consistent from batch to batch.

• Sometimes we add iron when we dye wool, oxidizing the fiber to echo the “eaten away” look of an antique rug.

Weaving• There are three types of weaves: Persian

knot, Tibetan knot, and flat weave.• Persian knots are tied one by one and are

individually cut as soon as they are tied. • Therefore, every Persian rug is considered

a cut pile rug. • Pile can be cut high or low, depending on

the desired effect. Cutting evens the surface and reveals the rug’s design.

• This is the most traditional way of weaving, and allows for the greatest design intricacy. It’s also the more labor-intensive way to weave.

• Persian rugs are woven in fractions of inches per day, which is why lead times are longer.

• Tibetan rugs are never individually knotted. Instead, one continuous piece of yarn is knotted around both the rod and the foundation.

• When a line is completed, the rod has a series of loops wrapped around it.

• To cut the pile, a razor simply slices through the loops.

• The thicker the rod, the higher the pile height. The thinner the rod, the lower the pile height.

• It’s crucial to understand that “Tibetan” does not refer to where a rug is woven. Tibetan refers to how a rug is woven, and the manner in which the rod is utilized.

• Flat weave rugs are not knotted at all. They’re created by sliding a shuttle across a jacquard loom.

• Hand-tufted rugs contain fibers that are hand-tufted into a canvas backing.

• Their lead times are shorter; their costs are lower.

Knot Count• SHIIR knot count varies from 50 -400

knots per inch. • Higher knot count does not equal higher

quality.• Knot count is determined by the best way

to achieve a desired effect.

Flat Weave• Flat weave rugs are woven similarly to

hand-woven fabrics.• A shuttle is thrown across a loom.• Progress is measured in feet, not inches

per day, speeding production.

Graphing• Designs are transferred to graph paper,

which acts as a visual guide for the weavers.

Finishing• There are four steps in the finishing

process. They take place after a rug’s been woven, but before it’s ready to ship.

• Step One: Washing – cleans a rug and brings different effects to life.

• Step Two: Shearing – a rug is cut down, or trimmed, to the desired pile height.

• Stretching – removes wrinkles and squares a rug back into shape.

• Edge finishing – rug edges are finished with fringe, hand-wrapped, or a combina-tion of the two.

Embroidery• Flat weave rugs are embellished with

hand-embroidered stitchery inspired by the time-honored art of “chikan.”

SUMMARY HIGHLIGHTS

SHIIR Rug Guide 1110 Our Process

INSPIRATION

So how do we go about creating a rug? You’ve learned already about our devotion to fiber as a first step to inspired design. It’s one of the primary ways our process differs from our competition. But it’s more holistic than that. It’s also about being open to new ideas, exploring them, refining them, and excitedly pursuing the winding roads down which they lead us.

CONCEPTUALIZATION

Put into words, you can see how our process does not follow a straight-and-narrow path. Instead, it intersects and overlaps, which is precisely why it results in such memorably iconic rugs.

It’s also about translating an idea into a two –dimensional object. How do we transform a conjuring of the imagination into a rug? That is the quest that drives us, always.

DESIGN

Once a design has been devised, we determine the texture and knot count that will best bring it to life. The pattern is overlayed, and colors are selected.

At SHIIR, inspiration is all around us, waiting

only to be noticed, captured, and reimagined

into breathtaking works of beauty. Art under-

foot, we like to say.

12 Design Process

Whether Tibetan, Indian, or from New Zealand, all wool is sheared from sheep raised in grassy hillside pastures. Used in rug production since the industry’s earliest days, wool possesses several important, inherent qualities: it spins beautifully into yarn; accepts dye easily; is extremely cleanable due to its high lanolin content (which acts as a natural stain resistor); and doesn’t crush easily. This makes wool especially well-suited to high traffic areas. Typically, the longer the wool fiber and the finer its width, the higher its quality.

WOOLS USED FOR MOST OF OUR RUGS PRODUCED IN NEPAL

Wool from cold regions, such as Tibet, tends to have the longest fibers and highest lanolin content, making Tibetan wool exception-ally lustrous and stain-resistant. Tibetan wool yields a velvety look that also takes dye very consis-tently. Most Tibetan knots use triple-ply yarn, meaning the strands are twisted together, not just blended.

WOOLS USED FOR MOST OF OUR RUGS PRODUCED IN INDIA

Most of the SHIIR rugs woven in India are a blend of five distinct types of wool, mixed together before being spun into yarn. This process is called carding. Think of it like baking a cake: you can mix your ingredients with an electric mixer to get a perfectly smooth blend, or you can mix them with a wooden spoon to produce a rougher, more textured blend. We typically prefer the rougher blend, and for good reason: when it’s dyed, the different species of wool, and their different thicknesses, result in a tremendous amount of color variation, known as abrash. We prize these variations, which are a hallmark of SHIIR rugs. Most other manufacturers card by machine, which is simpler and faster. Our process takes longer, but the results are incomparable.

As a point of comparison, Indian wool allows for much more abrash, or color variation, than Tibetan wool.

WOOL FROM NEW ZEALAND

Wool from New Zealand is generally white, which makes it particularly easy to dye, and processed by machine. New Zealand wool yields a velvety look that takes dye very consistently.

Clients who prefer a really white color in their rugs will want New Zealand wool. It’s as close to pure white as you can get. We use New Zealand wool on custom orders and for a small set of our standard designs.

WOOL

Different types of wool boast specific,

inherent qualities that make them

ideally suited for particular designs.

These qualities are subtle, yet important.

Wool is an extremely versatile fiber, partially

because it’s easy to clean and highly

durable. For these reasons, many clients favor

wool-rich rugs for heavy traffic areas.

SHIIR Rug Guide 1514 Materials SelectionPreparation

Silk is produced by farm-raised silk-worms fed a diet of mulberry leaves. Contrary to popular belief, silk is an extremely strong fiber. In fact, pound for pound, silk is stronger than steel! The reason people often think of silk as being a delicate fiber is that it’s some-what difficult to clean. This is why we recommend treating our silk rugs for stain resistance, and placing them in lower-traffic areas. Aesthetically, silk offers a higher sheen – and there-fore, a more formal look - than nearly any other material. It’s also incredibly soft and luxurious to the touch.

We use two kinds of silk: Chinese silk and Indian silk. Both types of silk cost roughly the same. Neither is better than the other; it’s just that each is best for different purposes.

CHINESE SILK

Chinese silk is machine-carded and machine-spun, resulting in a more consistent dyeing process and a smoother texture. It’s also multi-ply.

INDIAN SILK

Indian silk is hand-carded and hand-spun. This allows for more abrash, and a chunkier, thicker yarn.

Sheared from Angora goats raised in South Africa, mohair fibers are small and fine, and tend to shed – which is why we bind them with wool. Mohair is extremely durable and resilient, with a luster midway between wool and silk. Mohair accepts dye exceptionally well.

MONGOLIAN CASHMEREMongolian cashmere is actually a type of wool sheared from cashmere goats living in Mongolia. It is significantly finer than other wools, and is considered an ultra-luxurious material. Its production is quite limited. It results in an incredi-bly soft hand – once it goes through the washing process, it takes on a silk-like sheen. It, too, is best suited for low-er-traffic areas.

SILK MOHAIR

For SHIIR, selecting materials is one of the

most exciting steps in the rug-making process.

We like to explore the qualities of different

fibers first, before we create designs that

showcase those qualities to best effect.

16 Materials SelectionPreparation

A type of cashmere, pashmina is even finer and more expensive than Mongo-lian cashmere. The high-altitude Himalayan Mountains are home to the pashmina goats from which pashmina is sheared. This is the most luxurious fiber of all in the SHIIR rug line.

Cotton comprises the foundation of virtually every rug we – and most other manufacturers – make. It’s been the industry gold standard for more than 1,000 years. Why cotton? Because unlike other fibers, cotton doesn’t “give”

– it creates the most stable foundation possible.

PASHMINA COTTON

As much as we admire the exotic, we’re also

practical – which is why we use cotton to back

nearly all our rugs. There’s simply no better

fiber for creating a stable rug foundation.

18 Materials SelectionPreparation

A discussion of yarn begins with the manner in which fibers are spun. When animals are sheared, the result is handfuls of fuzzy material. To turn that material into something that can be woven on a loom, it has to be trans-formed from a puff of fuzz to a strand of yarn. The methods we use to cause that transformation are called carding and spinning.

Most of our rugs are hand-carded and hand-spun. This yields an inconsisten-cy to the thickness and surface texture of a rug, which accentuates its hand-crafted artistry. Machine carding and spinning yields a more “perfect” look, which is the opposite of the artisan-made effect SHIIR rugs are known for – though on rare occasions, we machine card and spin to achieve a very specific outcome.

Another thing to know about yarn is that where on its body an animal is shorn is a major determinant of quality. The wool around an animal’s throat is the finest. The coarsest wool is found on an animal’s back. Often, wool around an animal’s belly and underarms is yellow. It’s excellent for dyeing darker colors since it’s irrelevant what color the wool starts out. Wool that’s lighter to begin with is saved for light-colored dyes.

Multi-ply yarn can be a mixture of different fibers, or the same fiber in different colors. Three-ply is standard in Nepal, but is only used in India by special request. Twisting different materials and colors together results in a speckled effect.

Blending is part of the hand-carding and hand-spinning process. When two materials are blended together, the result is a finished yarn that’s an average of the two materials, rather than two distinct speckles.

Transforming the “fuzz” that is sheared from

an animal into weavable yarn is just one of

the many multi-step processes that go into

creating a finished rug.

20 Preparation

YARN

We dye our fibers by hand, in large, steaming vats of heated water and dye. They’re turned by hand for hours, to ensure deep color penetration. Once the process is complete, the dyed yarns are set in the hot sun and left to dry. They’re then checked against a control sample, which must meet the approv-al of both the colorist and the owner of the dyeing facility. Finally, they’re sent to the loom with graph paper (more on this in a moment) and any special instructions.

There are three ways to color wool: herbal (also known as vegetable dye); natural (also known as undyed); and synthetic.

We use herbal dye by request only. The most appropriate time to request herbal dye is when a client wants a Tibetan rug from Nepal with substantial abrash.

Natural dye really means the yarn is undyed. It’s used the way it comes off the animal.

Synthetic dye is colorfast and very consistent from batch to batch. At SHIIR, we create a color card of dyed wool for each and every rug we weave. When you place an order, we reference the color card of the exact rug you’re using as a sample, so that we can match your order to it. That’s how we make sure you get the best possible color match to the approved sample.

Dye formulas never change, but fibers do. Some years wool is whiter; other years, it’s grayer. We’re experts at finessing dye until we’re able to match it very closely to the original color card.

Sometimes when using synthetic dyes, we go a step further and oxidize. Oxidizing applies only to wool, and may be considered an “addition” to the dyeing process. What this means is we add a dose of iron to the dye vat as the fibers go in. The iron works its way into the wool as it soaks up color; later, the wool is woven into a rug. When the rug is finished, it gets washed – and wet – thereby “rusting” the wool, and causing the oxidized effect that is a hallmark of antique rugs.

Dyeing is an artfully inexact process, which

is precisely why stellar experience is key to

a satisfactory outcome. Our artisans have

been practicing the fine art of materials

dyeing for generations.

DYEING

22 Preparation

Though rug-weaving is an ancient art, it nonetheless benefits from a simple, modern-day procedure called graphing. Graphing has been used for hundreds of years, but transferring designs to graphs by computer is a new, precise, and time-saving method. Graphing is the tool weavers use to follow a pattern. It is also one of the earliest stages of the design process. You already know our rugs are inspired by things as varied as mushroom caps, moss, mirrors, and even a hornet’s nest, to name a few. Have you ever wondered how a hornet’s nest becomes a rug pattern? We’ll explain.

We study the texture of a hornet’s nest, examining its many layers, and focus in on a portion we find particularly interesting in terms of pattern. Digitally, we create a two-dimensional version of that pattern. That digital image then gets uploaded to a computer program that translates it into a series of knots on a one-to-one scale. (In other words, if a rug contains 100 knots per inch, there will be 100 squares per inch on the graph paper.) The graph paper is colored by section according to the rug’s design; this colored version is then emailed to our manufacturing partner, who prints an oversize version of it for the weavers to follow. Because it would be difficult to hold a piece of paper as large as a rug while they work, weavers refer instead to three-foot strips of graph paper they hold in their laps. Following the graph, the weavers bring the design to life. Eventually – in a matter of days or weeks – they complete one strip, and progress to the next. Now you can see how the process of graphing is really the process of designing

– it’s the way we translate an idea into something that can actually be produced.

Relatively new technical innovations, such as

graphing, make it possible for us to translate

creative flights of fancy into finished rugs.

24 Preparation

GRAPHING

SHIIR uses four types of weaves: Persian knot, Tibetan knot, flat weaves, and hand tufted.

PERSIAN KNOT

In Persian-knotted rugs, knots are tied one by one, and after each knot is tied, the loose ends are snipped. Pile rugs can be cut high or low; either way, the cutting process evens the surface and reveals the design.

(Interestingly, cutting isn’t the only way to achieve a low pile height. It can also be obtained by oxidization - that’s when we add iron to the vat as wool is being dyed, remember? Oxidization impacts pile height by “eating” away at fibers until they’re nearly threadbare, lending a wonderfully antique look.)

To weave Persian rugs, weavers sit side-by-side at the loom, three feet apart from each other. Following a graph they use to reference the rug’s design, the weavers pull the yarn from behind them, knotting each piece individually. One line all the way across the rug must be complete before the group can move up to the next line. As each foot or two is woven, the completed section is rolled so the weavers can remain sitting stationary. In other words, the uncompleted portion of the rug comes to them.

Tying knots individually is the most traditional way of weaving, and allows for the greatest intricacy of design. It’s also the more labor intensive way to weave. Persian rugs are woven in fractions of inches per day, which is why lead times on Persian rugs are longer.

TIBETAN

Tibetan rugs, on the other hand, are never individually knotted. One continu-ous piece of yarn is knotted around both the rod and the foundation, so that when a line is completed, the rod has a series of loops wrapped around it. Then, to cut the pile, weavers simply slice a razor blade across the face of the rod to lower the pile height. Some Tibetan rugs aren’t cut at all; their rods are simply pulled out, resulting in what’s known as looped pile.

It’s crucial to understand that when we say “Tibetan,” we are not talking about where a rug is woven. Tibetan refers to how a rug is woven, and the manner in which the rod is utilized. That’s what makes a rug a Tibetan rug.

Persian weaves – the most traditional method

of rug-weaving – incorporate knots that are

tied individually, one by one.

In Tibetan weaves, the thicker the rod, the

higher the pile height. The thinner the rod, the

lower the pile height.

SHIIR Rug Guide 2726 Production

WEAVING

KNOT COUNT

Any discussion of Persian and Tibetan rugs must include the subject of knot count. The most important thing to know about SHIIR knot count is that it can vary from 50 knots per inch to upwards of 400 knots per inch. It’s a bit like looking at pixels on a computer screen. And like those pixels, you might assume higher knot count equals higher quality - but this isn’t necessarily the case. As we’ve said before, it’s a matter of the best way to achieve the desired effect. Higher knot counts are best for some of our designs; lower knot counts are best for others. It all depends on the look your client seeks. For example, a finely knotted rug would be out of place in a rustic mountain cabin, where a coarse, chunky appear-ance would be more appropriate.

FLAT WEAVE

Flat weave rugs are not knotted at all, but are instead woven similarly to hand-wo-ven fabrics. They’re created by sliding a shuttle across a jacquard loom. (For this reason, progress is measured in feet - not inches- per day, making production faster.) Flat weave rugs offer a completely different type of texture than Persian or Tibetan rugs, and were included in our line as a way to incorporate embroidery into our rugs. You would never see stitching – whether chunky or delicate - atop a piled rug, but we found it’s perfectly suited to a flat weave rug.

28 Production Weaving

HAND-TUFTED

Hand-tufted rugs vary from other weaves in several important ways. Because their fibers are hand-tufted into a canvas backing using a tufting gun, rather than hand-knotted, their lead times are shorter, and their costs are lower. They’re ideal for use in commercial applications, including hotels, lobbies, conference rooms, and hallways; in addition, they make durable wall-to-wall carpets and area rugs in residential settings.

Like all SHIIR rugs, our hand-tufted rugs differ from others in that our innova-tive attention to fiber and technique enables us to create highly nuanced designs – many of them, hand-tufted interpretations of hand-knotted rugs already in our collection. They feature multiple textures and pile heights, variegated colorations, and sophisticated depth and dimension not commonly associated with hand-tufted rugs.

A tufting gun and cross section of a tufted rug. And the same rug, in a hand-tufted

version of the original.

A view of a hand-knotted

Damascus rug.

SHIIR Rug Guide 3130 Production Weaving

There are four steps in the finishing process. They take place after a rug’s been woven but before it’s ready to ship.

WASHING

Washing is a critical step in the finishing process, and one in which rug manufacturers take particular pride. Washing is what brings different effects to life. The first wash or two are simply to clean the rug. Subsequent washes soften colors, or polish fibers to give them added sheen. Scrubbing during a wash will help fibers “bloom,” resulting in a velvet-like surface feel. In other words, washing is all about coaxing fibers to behave in whatever manner a specific design intends them to.

Washing is a point of pride for most manufac-

turers, as it is during washing that their artistic

efforts are revealed in all their glory.

32 Production

FINISHING

SHEARING

Shearing is the second step in the finishing process. Shearing is what we do to achieve a particular pile height. Thin rugs, with their fine, tiny, individual knots, are often perceived to be of higher quality than thicker rugs, with their coarsely knotted, denser fibers. But this is not an accurate determinate of luxury. It’s merely a difference between rugs. Some clients will consider thin, fine rugs to be more luxurious; others will consider thick, plush rugs to be more luxurious.

Persian rugs are sheared by hand to the desired pile height, which gives them a more artisanal look. If we sheared by machine, they would be perfectly uniform, and would lack the handcraft-ed appearance that defines SHIIR’s Persian rugs. (Interestingly, when a Persian rug first comes off the loom, it looks nothing like a finished rug. The yarns are so long that the rug’s design is indistinct. It is only later, when a Persian rug is sheared, that its pattern becomes evident.)

Persian rugs with small knots can be sheared low. Persian rugs with larger knots require that we shear higher to maintain their integrity. While we typically shear our rugs to the lowest pile height technically possible, you can request we shear a rug higher if your client feels a thicker rug is more in keeping with his idea of luxury.

Tibetan rugs, on the other hand - whose thicknesses are determined by the thickness of the rods they’re woven on

- require only that loose yarns be trimmed.

STRETCHING

Stretching involves affixing the rug to frames specially built to remove wrinkles, and square the rug back into shape. Ideally, rugs are stretched outdoors, in the sunshine, for at least six hours. Sunshine warms the fibers, loosening them and making the rug malleable. During inclement weather – or monsoon season – rugs are stretched indoors, which takes nearly three days. Either way, once a rug has been stretched, its cotton foundation ensures the rug will retain its shape.

As you begin to understand the myriad

steps that go into producing a SHIIR rug –

and are able to communicate those steps

to your clients – it becomes easier to

explain lead times.

34 Production Finishing

EDGE FINISHING

There are two ways to finish the edges of a rug. They may be fringed, or they may be hand wrapped. Fringe is created from the portion of the cotton foundation that extends beyond the edge of the rug. Hand wrapping means a cord is sewn around the sides of a rug and hand wrapped with wool yarn. Traditional Persian-style rugs feature both - fringed ends and hand wrapped sides. Tibetan rugs are hand wrapped on all four sides. Still, tradition is open to interpretation, and these “rules” can be relaxed on custom rugs.

EMBROIDERY

The final step for each of our flat weave Embroidery Collection rugs is the hand-application of intricate embroidery stitches inspired by the time-honored art of “chikankari.” Chikankari is the revered practice of embellishing saris with exquisite embroidery. The famed center for this art is Lucknow, India, where SHIIR sends many of our Embroidery Collection rugs to be adorned in the same manner the villagers’ ancestors have been practicing for centuries.

There are multiple ways of transferring embroidery designs to finished rugs. One of our favorites is stamping a wood block with indigo dye to create a pattern on the rug. (The indigo will never be seen, as it gets washed out at the end of the process.) The other method we favor is weaving the embroidery pattern into the background of a rug, like an outline, and then embroidering over the outline.

This marriage of two revered handcrafts - which lived side by side for generations, yet had never been blended together –offers yet another example of SHIIR’s dedication to honoring the past, even as we continue to innovate with enthusiasm.

Whether fringed or hand-wrapped, finishing

a rug requires practiced fingers moving nimbly

around the boundaries of a rug’s surface.

SHIIR Rug Guide 3736 Production Finishing

SUMMARY

SHIIR Rug Guide 39

Why are lead times so long – and what can we do to shorten them?

Hand-weaving means individual knots are tied by hand. That equates to time – think of it as tying your shoelaces over and over. Some qualities can be woven an inch and a half a day; others, half an inch a day. It depends on the fiber, and the tightness of the pile.

To shorten weave times, we can put a large rug sideways on the loom. It’ll be a faster weave, since the rug won’t be woven as long. In other words, an 8’ x 16’ rug will weave faster than a 16’ x 8’ rug. Offer this as a solution any time a customer seems concerned about order time.

Why are our rugs more expensive than some others?

Our rugs are woven by hand.

Many of our patterns require highly skilled craftspeople in order to execute what we’ve designed. These weavers have been in this business for generations and are considered the crème de la crème of weavers.

Innovation costs money. In order to innovate, we rely on highly skilled weavers who are paid at the top of their industry. Innovation also requires us to sample our designs, in order to ensure the final product is exactly as we envisioned.

Our means and methods of producing carpets are to produce the finest carpets we can. We use high quality fibers, such as high quality wool, pashmina, cashmere, and silk. We use clean water when washing. We go the extra step in Tibetan carpets to use the cross stitch method, which results in a higher integrity – and a rug that will last much longer.

What is the humanity behind our rugs? Do we use child labor?

The short answer is no. But the long answer is a bit more complicated.

We work with the finest quality weavers in India and Nepal. They do not employ children. Our Tibetan hand-knotted rugs are GoodWeave certified.

But rug-making is an ancient hand-craft, and some of it is still practiced as a cottage industry – meaning, some of our rug-making processes take place in private homes, where grandparents and parents pass down their artistry to their children. This makes it difficult to determine exactly who is doing the embroidery at any one time, which is why we are careful about making a blanket statement such as “We do not use child labor.”

We have a quality control force on the ground in India to check the looms, and ensure no child laborers are making our carpets.

What are key things to tell a client about designs and samples for approval?

Designs for Approval (DFA) are also known as renderings. SHIIR provides designs for approval free of charge. Typically, we turn these around in 2-3 days.

Samples for Approval (SFA) are also known as strike-offs. Strike-offs cost $175 each, with a limit of three per rug. We will refund the purchase of all strike-offs upon purchase of the rug. Strike-offs are turned around in approximately 6-8 weeks.

Note that any time we create a custom pattern or weave to satisfy a client’s unique request, it is considered “new development.” Rugs such as these, which are not currently in our collection, take a bit longer to develop and may require as many as three samples before all parties agree the desired look has been achieved.

This applies to rug “modifications,” too, which are designs in our current collection that are requested to be woven in different fibers, or in lower knot counts. This process is similar to developing a new design, and may also require up to three samples.

What if a rug requires repair or restoration?

Repairs sometimes need to be made; please contact us so we can give you suggestions on a case-by-case basis.

How durable/cleanable are our rugs?

Durability and clean-ability are often confused. Both depend on fiber.

Wool is widely considered to be most durable, but pound for pound, silk is actually a stronger fiber.

Wool, however, is most easily cleaned, which is why it’s an ideal choice for households with kids and pets. Silk is stronger, but not as easy to clean.

Durability is also impacted by how densely woven a carpet is.

Stain resistance can be added to all SHIIR rugs for a small charge.

QUESTIONS YOU MAY BE ASKED

SHIIR Rug Guide 4140 Summary

We provide comprehensive information, education, and assistance so you can confidently and successfully sell SHIIR rugs. Helpful tools include:

Internal Portal• Located on the SHIIR website, at the

bottom of the home page. Click “Internal Portal” and log in using your showroom user name and password. (Need help? Call us at 312-828-0400)

• Find continuing education, past editions of SHIIRspeak, images, logos, and a quote calculator.

For Standard Color/Design Orders• Quotes

• Renderings

For Custom Orders• Quotes

• Renderings

• Sampling

For Additional Information• iPad Print tear sheets, and easily share

complete collection information, including photos, design descriptions, fiber content, standard color options, and country of origin for every SHIIR rug.

• SHIIR Website Find complete collection information,

including photos, design descriptions, fiber content, standard color options, and country of origin.

• SHIIRspeak Delivered to your email inbox monthly,

this newsletter provides useful informa-tion and helpful selling tips.

• SHIIRnow A monthly listing of all in-stock rugs

available for immediate delivery.

Contact us!Sales: 312-828-0400 or [email protected]

Status updates: 312-828-0400 or [email protected]

Renderings/Design: 312-828-0400 or [email protected]

Balance Due/Financials: Beth Messinger at 312-828-0400 or [email protected]

Selling Showroom Rugs We understand clients will sometimes seek a discount for rugs purchased directly off your showroom floor. If this is the case, please take the following steps to sell a showroom rug:

• Do not offer a discount on a showroom rug unless the client requests it.

• If such a request is made, our standard policy is to offer a 10% discount.

• If the client requests more than a 10% discount, you must contact SHIIR. Together, we will partner on the sale to share any additional discount amount with your showroom.

Helpful Sales Tips • Most rugs have a definitive “light” or “dark”

side, depending which end of the rug you are standing at as you view it. This is because fibers, once knotted, either point upward or downward – and thus either reflect light, or absorb light. Light side and dark side variations can range from very subtle to quite noticeable. They are not an indication of a rug’s quality; they are simply a by-product of the weaving process.

• It’s important to be thoughtful about why a client loves a rug. If they’re drawn to its sheen, for example, you won’t want to suggest weaving it in wool, because it will lose that sheen.

• Any time a client seeks to lower the cost of a rug by either reducing its knot count or substituting a different fiber, we ask that you contact us. Together, we can discuss possible solutions to your client’s needs, while ensuring the integrity of the rug’s design is maintained.

• To shorten delivery time, put a large rug sideways on the loom. It’ll be a faster weave, since the rug won’t be woven as long. In other words, an 8’ x 16’ rug will weave faster than a 16’ x 8’ rug. Offer this as a solution any time a customer seems concerned about lead time. (This works because weave times are determined by rug length only. Width does not affect weave time, since the wider a rug is, the greater the number of weavers who can sit at the loom.)

• Note that rugs larger than 12” wide will incur an upcharge. This upcharge will automatically tabulate in your quote calculator.

• Ask your client when their install date is. That will help you determine whether lead time reduction is required.

Inside Delivery• SHIIR is pleased to offer Inside Delivery

service. To utilize this service, please go to the Internal Portal and complete the

“Inside Delivery Questionnaire” to receive an accurate and timely quote.

Care and Maintenance of SHIIR rugs• Vacuum once a week or as needed. Turn

the beater bar off (this typically means using the “bare floor” setting as opposed to the “carpet” setting) and use suction only.

• Turn rug once or twice a year to spread traffic patterns and prevent fading from the sun.

• To store, wrap in plastic, add moth balls, and tape securely closed.

• Padding is necessary under all SHIIR rugs to prevent undue wear.

• Spot clean with mild soap and water to remove spills; call a trusted professional for major accidents or stains.

• Professionally clean once every three to five years, only as needed.

SHIIR Rug Guide 4342

WORKING WITH SHIIR

Summary

AbrashColor variation across the body of a rug.

BlendingThe process of creating a finished yarn that’s an average of two materials, rather than two distinct speckles.

CardingThe process of blending together, by hand, different types of fibers.

ChikankariThe art of embellishing saris with embroi-dery, and the inspiration for the embroidery stitching on our Embroidery Collection rugs.

Chinese silkMulti-ply silk that’s been machine-carded and machine-spun for a smooth texture.

Color cardA reference sampling of dyed wool created for each rug we weave.

CottonA stable fiber which does not “give,” and therefore comprises the foundation of most rugs in the marketplace.

Country of originThe country in which a rug is produced; typically, India or Nepal.

DyeingThe process of immersing fibers in dye to absorb color.

Edge finishingThe process of fringing, or hand-wrapping, the edges of a rug.

FiberThe material (or materials) from which a rug is woven.

FinishThe four-step process necessary to complete a rug’s production after it’s been woven.

Flat weaveRugs which are woven similarly to hand-wo-ven fabrics, by throwing a shuttle across a loom.

GraphingThe method of transferring a design to paper, which weavers then use as a template to follow while weaving.

Hand cardThe process of disentangling and aligning sheared animal fibers, by hand, to prepare them for spinning.

Hand spunThe process of twisting fiber, by hand, into a continuous thread that can be woven on a loom.

Indian silkSilk that’s been hand-carded and hand-spun for a chunkier texture and more abrash.

Indian woolA blend of five different types of wool hand-twisted together. Allows for more abrash than Tibetan wool.

Knot countRefers to knots per square inch. SHIIR knot counts range from 50-400 and are determined by the desired effect of the finished rug.

Machine cardThe process of disentangling and aligning sheared animal fibers, by machine, to prepare them for spinning.

Machine spunThe process of twisting fiber, by machine, into a continuous thread that can be woven on a loom.

MohairSmall, fine fibers, usually bound with wool, which are extremely durable and resilient.

Mongolian cashmereA type of wool that is significantly finer than other wools, and is considered an ultra-lux-urious material.

Multi-ply yarnComprised of individual strands of fiber twisted together.

New Zealand woolWool that’s been bleached white and is particularly easy to dye.

OxidizeThe process of adding iron to wool fibers as they’re being dyed to achieve a desirably “eaten away” or rusted effect, similar to that of antique rugs.

PashminaA very fine type of cashmere that is the most luxurious fiber in the SHIIR rug line.

Persian knotRugs in which fibers are knotted and tied one by one as they’re wound around a rod; then individually cut once a rug comes off the loom.

Pile heightThe thickness of a rug measured from its surface to its backing. Can range from very thin to thick, depending on personal taste and knot count.

ShearThe process of trimming a rug to the desired pile height.

SHIIR RugsA Chicago-based rug company that crafts the finest, most innovative handmade rugs by honoring the past and invigorating the present.

SilkAn extremely durable fiber that offers a high sheen. Can be difficult to clean, which makes it best suited to lower-traffic areas.

StretchThe process of removing wrinkles and squaring a rug back into shape after it’s been washed.

TibetanRugs in which fibers are knotted around a rod to create loops, which may or may not be sliced with a razor once a rug comes off the loom.

Tibetan woolA particularly lustrous, long-stapled, and stain-resistant type of wool.

WashA series of rinses that clean a rug and bring different effects to life.

WeaveA method of textile production in which distinct sets of yarns are interlaced to form a rug. There are three types of weaves: Persian knot, Tibetan, and flat weave.

WoolA durable, easily cleaned fiber especially well-suited to high traffic areas.

YarnAnimal fibers that are transformed, by carding and spinning, into a form that is weavable on a loom.

SHIIR Rug Guide 4544 Summary

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

PRODUCT DETAILS

SHIIR Rug Guide 47

Origin Made in India

Materials Wool & Silk

Fringe Standard

Selling Tips

• Inspired by our tremendous appreciation for the great carpets of the world. • Very fine-quality rug destined to become the antique of tomorrow. High knot count

yields highly refined look to pattern. Particularly well-suited to silk rugs. • Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Antique Offset, Arabesque, and Bookbinder

Talking Points

• Hand-carding and hand-spinning is a slow and expensive way to process materials. Five types of wool are blended together and spun at a spinning wheel. This results in a hand-crafted yarn that varies from thick to thin. It takes dyes beautifully, and results in the striae (abrash). It also offers incredible depth of color and variation.

• Persian knot is the traditional weaving method used in the most storied cities in Persia - Tabriz, Heriz, and Kashan. Persian knots are single, individual knots hand-tied on the foundation. This increases the lead time and cost, but results in more texture on the face of the rug. It also offers the ability to create more complex designs.

• Crafted by a very small boutique company that is widely regarded as one of the most skilled looms in Northern India.

• What most people think of as a rug - the “default” weave. Formed by cut yarns packed tightly together. They are asymmetrical and oriented to one end of the carpet, causing a “light side/dark side” effect.

• A general rule of thumb is that finely knotted (small knots) rugs tend to be thinner rugs, and coarsely knotted rugs tend to be thicker rugs.

Cumulus

Colors Cumulus

Lead Time Varies by size; consult portal

Texture Cut pile

Knot style Persian

Knot count 121 (11/11q)

ACANTHUS

ACANTHUS

4948 SHIIR Rug GuideProduct Details


Fringe Available upon request

Selling Tips

• Embroidery design is customizable in scale and can be adapted for use as a border. • Embroidery inspired by art of Chikan, or sari embroidering • Designs developed around stitching types and styles • This is SHIIR’s fastest weave, and the lead times can be further reduced with dialogue

with the weaver. • This rug feels like: Arbor and Terni

Talking Points

• Background is a hand-loomed flat-weave. • The artisans who do our embroidery typically stitch very fine designs onto fabrics. They

are part of a non-profit NGO dedicated to raising the living standards and wages of women engaged in this cottage industry.

• SHIIR Rugs brought these two crafts together, which have lived side by side in Northern India for 500 years.

Ottava Pensiero

Forte Crescendo

Knot count NA

Knot style NA

Texture Embroidery on flatweave


Colors Crescendo, Forte, Ottava and Pensiero

Materials Wool

ALLEGRO

ALLEGRO




Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

Mey

ZagrosShekar

Karun Advieh

Colors Advieh, Karun, Mey, Shekar and Zagros


ANTIQUE OFFSET

ANTIQUE OFFSETSelling Tips


yields highly refined look to pattern. Particularly well-suited to silk rugs. • Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Acanthus, Arabesque, and Bookbinder

Talking Points










Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

Cumulus

Colors Cumulus

AR ABESQUE

AR ABESQUESelling Tips


yields highly refined look to pattern. Particularly well-suited to silk rugs. • Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Acanthus, Antique Offset, and Bookbinder

Talking Points









Selling Tips


with the weaver. • This rug feels like: Allegro and Terni

Talking Points




Sedum

IlliumHyacinth

Colors Hyacinth, Illium and Sedum



Knot style NA

Knot count NA

Materials Wool

ARBOR

ARBOR


Selling Tips

• Inspired by the ancient art form known as Batik, which dates to the 4th century BC and is a method of textile dyeing

• Displays an understanding of the various ways fibers can be combined to result in a variety of sheens and textures.

• To understand the impact of knot count and how it impacts feel of pile • Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom• This rug feels like: Moire and Onyx

Talking Points

• Hand-carding and hand-spinning are slow and expensive ways to process materials. Raw silk and wool is carded and spun at a spinning wheel, resulting in beautifully varied thicknesses of yarn.

• Tibetan highland sheep’s wool is one of the finest wools in the world. Its individual fibers are extremely long and exceedingly high in lanolin, a naturally occurring oil which imparts stain resistance, softness, and luster.

• 100 knots per inch allow for a decent amount of detailing. We weave up to 400 knots per inch, which is unusual - and requires highly skilled artisans. Every increase in knot count makes a rug thinner, denser, and more velvety. Higher knot count also allows ever-increasing ability to create complex designs.

• Tibetan weave is the traditional weaving method of the Himalayan Mountains. Yarns are wrapped around a rod, which is not only faster but allows for two textures – loop and cut pile. By contrast, the Persian knot has only cut pile.

• Most Tibetan rugs are woven using an uncrossed stitch, which is faster, less expensive, and easier to weave. SHIIR uses only the crossed stitch, which is the traditional method. While marginally slower than uncrossed, every knot is “locked in,” resulting in greater structural integrity. There is no difference in the look of the rug, but the crossed stitch is the superior method.

• Not all Tibetan rugs are created equally! There is a great deal of price variation between various rug manufacturers even when similar knot counts and materials are used. SHIIR uses only the finest materials available, processes by hand, and uses the structurally superior, more secure crossed stitch. Lower-end Tibetan rugs feature machine-processed materials, inferior dyes, and the less secure, uncrossed stitch.

More About Tibetan Rugs

• Tibetan carpets are woven primarily in Nepal – not Tibet! The term “Tibetan” refers to how a rug is woven, not where.

• Tibetan rug-making is an ancient, traditional craft. • Tibetan rugs use the rod. All pile starts as a loop and then is usually sliced with a razor

to form cut pile. • Some aspects of traditional rug-making have recently been supplanted by cheaper

processes, especially in terms of how yarn is spun and pile is trimmed. SHIIR uses entirely hand-processed methods.


Morel Ink

EclipseChalk

Knot count 200

Knot style Tibetan

Texture Cut pile


Colors Chalk, Eclipse, Ink and Morel


Origin Made in Nepal

BATIK

BATIK




Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

Tyrian

ParchmentMidnight

Colors Midnight, Parchment and Tyrian

Materials Silk

BLUMEN

BLUMENSelling Tips


yields highly refined look to pattern. Particularly well-suited to silk rugs. • Cost reduction tip: Wool/silk twist, or All wool • This rug feels like: Narcissus Silk

Talking Points

• Hand-carding and hand-spinning is a slow and expensive way to process materials. This results in a hand-crafted yarn that varies from thick to thin. It takes dyes beauti-fully, and results in the striae (abrash). It also offers incredible depth of color and variation.









Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

Titian

MasqueLaguna

Colors Laguna, Masque and Titian

BOOKBINDER

BOOKBINDERSelling Tips


yields highly refined look to pattern. Particularly well-suited to silk rugs. • Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Acanthus, Arabesque, and Antique Offset

Talking Points










Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile

Fringe Standard

WeatheredAncient Mariner

Colors Ancient Mariner and Weathered


BR ASS DOOR

BR ASS DOORSelling Tips


yields highly refined look to pattern. Particularly well-suited to silk rugs. • Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Acanthus, Arabesque, and Bookbinder

Talking Points









Knot style Persian

Fringe Standard

Selling Tips

• Inspired to replicate the timeworn patina of an antique rug. Oxidizing fiber on new rugs achieves authentic antique texture.

• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Compendio, Etched, and Foglia

Talking Points

• To oxidize wool, we add iron to the dye so that it works its way into the wool. The rug is woven normally, and is cut off the loom. At this point it looks like any other 11/11 wool and silk rug. During the wash process, the iron inside the wool rusts, which weakens the wool, causing the pile to wear away and expose the foundation. This is simply the best way to achieve a true antique texture. The rug looks beautifully aged, even though it’s new.




• Finely knotted quality allows pattern complexity.

Sepia

FawnCurrant

Colors Currant, Fawn and Sepia


Texture Wool oxidized (low), Silk cut pile

Materials Wool & Silk oxidized

BRIAR

BRIAR





Knot style Persian

Fringe Standard

Selling Tips

• Inspired to create a textile that achieves the texture of sisal with the softness of silk.• Cost reduction tip: All wool• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Damascus, Indo Tess, and Indo Tess Inverse

Talking Points

• Silk or cashmere pile contrasts beautifully with the exposed foundation. This back-ground is unique in that it is the warp and weft yarns – which are normally covered by pile – that are exposed as a flat weave. The background is mostly wool.





Sky

MistralEpernay

Colors Epernay, Mistral and Sky


Texture High/Low (Wool exposed foundation - low, Silk cut pile - high)

CADENCE

CADENCE




Selling Tips


with the weaver. • Cost reduction tip: All wool • This rug feels like: Quill, Treillage, and Vine

Talking Points

• The artisans who do our embroidery typically stitch very fine designs onto fabrics. They are part of a non-profit NGO dedicated to raising the living standards and wages of women engaged in this cottage industry.

• SHIIR Rugs brought these two crafts, which have lived side by side in Northern India for 500 years.

TruffleStatuary

LoamFountain

Colors Fountain, Loam, Statuary and Truffle



Knot style NA

Knot count NA

Materials Silk

CARREAU

CARREAU





Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

PlumIvory

CIRQUE

CIRQUE

Colors Ivory and Plum

Selling Tips


yields highly refined look to pattern. Particularly well-suited to silk rugs. • Cost reduction tip: All wool• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Acanthus, Arabesque, and Bookbinder

Talking Points









Knot style Persian


Selling Tips


• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Briar, Etched, and Foglia

Talking Points






RegimentDew

BillowBalladAcorn


Colors Acorn, Ballad, Billow, Dew and Regiment



COMPENDIO

COMPENDIO




Knot style Persian

Fringe Standard

Selling Tips

• Inspired to create a textile that achieves the texture of sisal with the softness of silk.• Cost reduction tip: All wool• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Cadence, Indo Tess, and Indo Tess Inverse

Talking Points






Celestial

Colors Celestial

DAMASCUS


Texture High/Low (Wool exposed foundation - low, Silk cut pile - high, with embroidered line)


DAMASCUS




Selling Tips


with the weaver. • This rug feels like: Traverse and Woodland

Talking Points




• This is the most casual, chunky texture in the Embroidery Collection.

PoolLily Pad

FrostDrummond

Colors Drummond, Frost, Lily Pad and Pool



Knot style NA

Knot count NA

Materials Wool

ECHO

ECHO





Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

MoonstoneHavana

Colors Havana and Moonstone

EMPIRE

EMPIRESelling Tips


yields highly refined look to pattern. Particularly well-suited to silk rugs. • Cost reduction tip: All wool• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Acanthus, Arabesque, and Bookbinder

Talking Points









Knot style Persian

Fringe Standard

Selling Tips


• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Briar, Compendio, and Foglia

Talking Points






Mica

Burnish Andesite

Colors Andesite, Burnish and Mica




ETCHED

ETCHED




Knot style Persian

Fringe Standard

Selling Tips


• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Foglia or Briar without the silk

Talking Points






Colors Ashland, Beryl, Coal, Fresh, Gale, Glacier and Vellum


Texture Wool oxidized (low)

Materials Wool oxidized

ETSON

ETSON

VellumGlacierGale

FreshCoalBerylAshland


Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile



Theorem

OrchardInfinity

Knot count 150

Colors Infinity, Orchard and Theorem

Materials Mohair, Wool & Silk


EUCLID

EUCLIDSelling Tips

• Inspired by our tremendous appreciation for the great carpets of the world. • Inspired to explore the way different yarn lengths impact feel and texture • This is where fiber matters, because pile height has a significant impact on pattern and

design. Larger, more open patterns feel “loose,” like watercolor paintings. This is good for long fiber.

• Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom

Talking Points








Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

Oyster

Colors Oyster


Materials Cashmere

EXPOSITION

EXPOSITIONSelling Tips



• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom

Talking Points








Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

White SandMediterranean

Colors Mediterranean and White Sand


Materials Cashmere & Silk

FINESTR A

FINESTR ASelling Tips



• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Geo Deco and Honeycomb

Talking Points

• Hand-carding and hand-spinning is a slow and expensive way to process materi-als. This results in a hand-crafted yarn that varies from thick to thin. It takes dyes beautifully, and results in the striae (abrash). It also offers incredible depth of color and variation.








Knot style Persian


TiberTantaro

LiriArno

Fringe Standard

Texture Wool oxidized, Silk cut pile

Colors Arno, Liri, Tantaro and Tiber

FIUME

FIUME


Selling Tips


• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Briar, Compendio, Etched, and Foglia

Talking Points









Knot style Persian

Fringe Standard

Selling Tips


• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Briar, Compendio, and Etched

Talking Points






Sestino

CypressCapulet



Colors Capulet, Cypress and Sestino


FOGLIA

FOGLIA



Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

Lupine

Colors Lupine



GEO DECO

GEO DECOSelling Tips



• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Finestra and Honeycomb

Talking Points







Texture Cut pile


Selling Tips


• To understand the impact of knot count and how it impacts feel of pile • Cost reduction tip: Change pashmina to New Zealand wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom• This rug feels like: Onyx and Batik

Talking Points

• Hand-carding and hand-spinning are slow and expensive ways to process materials. Pashmina and silk are carded and spun at a spinning wheel, resulting in beautifully varied thicknesses of yarn.












Relic

NileMirage

Colors Mirage, Nile and Relic

Knot style Tibetan

Knot count 200


Materials Pashmina & Silk

GLYPH

GLYPH





Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

BosphorusAtlas

Colors Atlas and Bosphorus

HER AT

HER ATSelling Tips


yields highly refined look to pattern. Particularly well-suited to silk rugs. • Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Acanthus, Arabesque, and Antique Offset

Talking Points








Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

RiverbedMoorgrass

Colors Moorgrass and Riverbed



HONEYCOMB

HONEYCOMBSelling Tips



• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Finestra and Geo Deco

Talking Points









Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile



TenteraCera

Knot count 100

ICARUS

ICARUS

Colors Cera and Tentera

Selling Tips


yields highly refined look to pattern. Particularly well-suited to silk rugs. • Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom

Talking Points








Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile

Materials Wool

Fringe Standard

Thyme Wheat

PomegranatePersimmon

Colors Persimmon, Pomegranate, Thyme and Wheat



ICONIC IK AT

ICONIC IK ATSelling Tips

• Inspired by our tremendous appreciation for the great carpets of the world. • Lower knot count translates to a faster weave and shorter lead time• All-wool rugs are the most durable and most easily cleaned, relative to other fibers • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Antique Offset and Empire

Talking Points









Knot style Persian

Fringe Standard

Selling Tips

• Inspired to create a textile that achieves the texture of sisal with the softness of silk. • Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Indo Tess Inverse and Nimbus

Talking Points






SmokeSable

Colors Sable and Smoke




INDO TESS

INDO TESS




Fringe Standard

Selling Tips

• Inspired to create a textile that achieves the texture of sisal with the softness of silk. • Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Indo Tess and Nimbus

Talking Points





Smoke Inverse

Sable InverseCoastal Inverse

Colors Coastal Inverse, Sable Inverse and Smoke Inverse

Knot style Persian


INDO TESS INVERSE

INDO TESS INVERSE





Knot style Persian

Fringe Standard

Selling Tips

• Inspired to create a textile that achieves the texture of sisal with the softness of cashmere.

• Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Nimbus

Talking Points





Tea AshRice Wine

MaikoCeladon

Colors Celadon, Maiko, Rice Wine and Tea Ash

KYOTO


Materials Cashmere & Wool

KYOTO


Texture High/Low (Wool exposed foundation - low, Cashmere cut pile - high)



Knot style Persian


BrunArgent

MAROC

Selling Tips



• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom

Talking Points






Fringe Standard

Texture Shaggy Cashmere – unclipped


Colors Argent, Brun

Materials Cashmere & Wool

MAROC



Texture Cut pile


Selling Tips


• To understand the impact of knot count and how it impacts feel of pile • Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom• This rug feels like: Strand

Talking Points













Hillside

RavineGlacier

Colors Glacier, Ravine and Hillside

Knot style Tibetan

Knot count 100


MOIRE

MOIRE



Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

Slate

Imperial Champagne

Colors Champagne, Imperial and Slate


Materials Cashmere

NARCISSUS

NARCISSUS CASHMERE

Selling Tips



• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Pallina and Sirocco

Talking Points








Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard



Materials Silk

NARCISSUS

NARCISSUS SILK

Slate

Imperial Champagne

Selling Tips

• Inspired by our tremendous appreciation for the great carpets of the world. • This is where fiber matters, because pile height has a significant impact on pattern and

design. Tight, detailed, very refined patterns are good for silk. • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Blumen

Talking Points









Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard


NARCISSUS

Materials Wool

NARCISSUS WOOL

Slate

Imperial Champagne

Selling Tips


yields highly refined look to pattern. Particularly well-suited to silk rugs. • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Iconic Ikat

Talking Points








Texture Cut pile


Selling Tips


• To understand the impact of knot count and how it impacts feel of pile • Cost reduction tip: All wool, or change silk to soy silk • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom• This rug feels like: Moire and Strand

Talking Points













Dusk

SaplingShell

Colors Shell, Sapling and Dusk

Knot style Tibetan

Knot count 100


NEPA TESS

NEPA TESS





Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

Verdant

Colors Verdant

NEST

NESTSelling Tips


yields highly refined look to pattern. Particularly well-suited to silk rugs. • Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Acanthus, Antique Offset, and Arabesque

Talking Points









Knot style Persian

Fringe Standard

Selling Tips

• Inspired to create a textile that achieves the texture of sisal with the softness of silk. • Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Cadence, Indo Tess and Indo Tess Inverse

Talking Points


• Hand-carding and hand-spinning is a slow and expensive way to process materials. This results in a hand-crafted yarn that varies from thick to thin. It takes dyes beautifully, and results in the striae (abrash). It also offers incredible depth of color and variation.




NocturneMist

ChestnutCayenne

Colors Cayenne, Chestnut, Mist and Nocturne




NIMBUS

NIMBUS



Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


VaporFog

CirrusArcus

Colors Arcus, Cirrus, Fog and Vapor


Knot count 400

Materials Mohair, Wool & Silk

OMBRE STRIPE

OMBRE STRIPE

Selling Tips

• Inspired by our tremendous appreciation for the great carpets of the world. • 400 knot count is highly unusual and exceptionally refined• This knot count results in especially subtle ombre color gradation • Cost reduction tip: Change mohair to wool; reduce knot count • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom

Talking Points







Texture Cut pile


Selling Tips


• To understand the impact of knot count and how it impacts feel of pile • Cost reduction tip: Change pashmina to wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom• This rug feels like: Glyph

Talking Points

• Hand-carding and hand-spinning are slow and expensive ways to process materials. Pashmina and silk are carded and spun at a spinning wheel, resulting in beautifully varied thicknesses of yarn.












SiltHistoria

Colors Historia and Silt

Knot style Tibetan

Knot count 150

Materials Pashmina & Silk


ONYX

ONYX



Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Travertine

MarinaBasalt

Colors Basalt, Marina and Travertine

PALLINA



Materials Cashmere

PALLINASelling Tips



• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Honeycomb, Geo Deco, and Sirocco

Talking Points

• Hand-carding and hand-spinning is a slow and expensive way to process materi-als. This results in a hand-crafted yarn that varies from thick to thin. It takes dyes beautifully, and results in the striae (abrash). It also offers incredible depth of color and variation.








Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


PASSAGE

Fringe Standard


Colors Cardamom, Birch, Peacock and Watchet

PASSAGE

Watchet

Cardamom

Peacock

Birch

Selling Tips



Talking Points









Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile



Whisper

MineralEdgewood

Colors Edgewood, Mineral and Whisper


PEZZATO

PEZZATOSelling Tips



• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Honeycomb, Finestra, and Geo Deco

Talking Points








Texture Cut pile


Knot style Tibetan

Knot count 150

Selling Tips


• To understand the impact of knot count and how it impacts feel of pile • Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom• This rug feels like: Batik and Glyph

Talking Points













Peregrine

Colors Peregrine


PLUME

PLUME



Materials Silk


Selling Tips


with the weaver.• Cost reduction tip: All wool • This rug feels like: Carreau, Treillage, and Vine

Talking Points




Huntington

EatonChatsworth

Colors Chatsworth, Eaton and Huntington



Knot style NA

Knot count NA

QUILL

QUILL




Knot style Persian


Terra

MarmoLapis

Fringe Standard

Texture Wool oxidized, Silk pile

Colors Lapis, Marmo and Terra


ROVINE

ROVINE

Selling Tips


• Cost reduction tip: All wool and no oxidizing • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Briar, Compendio, Etched, and Foglia

Talking Points









Knot style Persian

Colors Konsho, Midori and Rokocha

Fringe Standard

Selling Tips


• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Briar, Compendio, Etched, and Foglia

Talking Points






SHIBORI




SHIBORI

Rokocha

MidoriKonsho



Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Selling Tips



• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Honeycomb, Geo Deco, and Pallina

Talking Points






Fringe Standard

Sandstorm

PeatGraphite

Colors Sandstorm, Graphite and Peat


Materials Cashmere

SIROCCO

SIROCCO



Texture Cut pile


Selling Tips

• To explore the idea of texture on a Nepalese-style carpet• To understand the impact of knot count and how it impacts feel of pile • Cost reduction tip: All wool • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom• This rug feels like: Nepa Tess and Moire

Talking Points













Vellum

SaddleMeadow

Colors Meadow, Vellum and Saddle

Knot style Tibetan

Knot count 100


STR AND

STR AND





Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

Arctic

Colors Arctic

STR ATUM

STR ATUMSelling Tips



Talking Points








Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Selling Tips

• Inspired by our tremendous appreciation for the great carpets of the world. • Inspired to explore the way different yarn lengths impact feel and texture• This is where fiber matters, because pile height has a significant impact on pattern and


• Also inspired by exploring the way skipping rows of knots impacts feel and texture, and the impact of knot count.

• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom Talking Points







Colors Admiral, Dover, Maize, Nickel, Rivulet and Slate

SlateRivulet Nickel

MaizeDoverAdmiral


Materials Cashmere

SYMMETRIA

SYMMETRIA



Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile



Colors Cadet, Caladium, Linseed, Mink, Quince and Storm

StormQuinceMink

LinseedCaladiumCadet


Materials Cashmere

TABLEAU

TABLEAUSelling Tips



• Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Honeycomb, Geo Deco, and Pallina

Talking Points









Selling Tips


with the weaver. • This rug feels like: Allegro and Arbor

Talking Points




UmbriaNera

CarexAqua

Colors Aqua, Carex, Nera and Umbria



Knot style NA

Knot count NA

Materials Wool

TERNI

TERNI





Knot style Persian


Fringe Standard

Gris

CoastalCarbon

Texture Cut pile

Colors Carbon, Coastal and Gris

TR ACERY

TR ACERYSelling Tips



Talking Points









Selling Tips


with the weaver. • This rug feels like: Echo and Woodland

Talking Points





Sea Glass

Sand DollarDune Grass

Colors Dune Grass, Sand Dollar and Sea Glass



Knot style NA

Knot count NA

Materials Wool

TR AVERSE

TR AVERSE




Selling Tips


with the weaver. • Cost reduction tip: Switch to Arbor which is in all wool • This rug feels like: Carreau, Quill, and Vine

Talking Points




PondLichen

BurlapBrook

Colors Brook, Burlap, Lichen and Pond



Knot style NA

Knot count NA

Materials Silk

TREILLAGE

TREILLAGE





Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

Tide

LimestoneFungi

Colors Tide, Fungi and Limestone

TRIOMPHE

TRIOMPHESelling Tips


yields highly refined look to pattern. Particularly well-suited to silk rugs. • The most difficult of all our patterns to weave• Gradation makes this particularly beautiful as a stair runner • Lead time reduction tip: Sideways on loom • This rug feels like: Acanthus, Antique Offset, and Arabesque

Talking Points










Knot style Persian

Texture Cut pile


Fringe Standard

Abyss

Colors Abyss

VENETIAN DAMASK

VENETIAN DAMASK

Selling Tips



Talking Points









Selling Tips

• Embroidery design is customizable in scale and can be adapted for use as a border. • Embroidery inspired by art of Chikan, or sari embroidering • Designs developed around stitching types and styles • Cost reduction tip: All wool • This rug feels like: Carreau, Quill, and Treillage

Talking Points




PicketFlax

FlagstoneCopper

Colors Copper, Flagstone, Flax and Picket



Knot count NA

Knot style NA

Materials Silk

VINE

VINE




Selling Tips

• Embroidery design is customizable in scale and can be adapted for use as a border. • Embroidery inspired by art of Chikan, or sari embroidering • Designs developed around stitching types and styles • Stylized border is especially well-suited to a stair runner • This is SHIIR’s fastest weave, and the lead times can be further reduced with dialogue

with the weaver. • This rug feels like: Echo and Traverse

Talking Points





Stream

HawkEmber

Colors Ember, Hawk and Stream



Knot count NA

Knot style NA

Materials Wool

WOODLAND

WOODLAND


We hope the SHIIR Rug Guide helps you understand the process of creating a rug, and the many steps – and nuances – that bring it to life. This knowledge will build your confidence and ability to share our stories – and sell SHIIR rugs! Thank you for reading.

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WHERE INNOVATION MEETS TRADITION