RUGS AND CARPETS 271

TYPES OF CARPETS AND RUGS

Flat woven rugs are made on looms. They have no pile. They
are usually inexpensive and are intended for casual use.

Woven pile rugs are made on looms by interweaving weft
threads and pile yarns crosswise through lengthwise Warp threads.

Tufted rugs are made by hooking pile yarn into a ready made
backing cloth that is later given a coating of latex.

FLAT WEAVES

Grass, fiber, and other flat rugs have been improved so much
in appearance that they are now suitable indoors as well as on
porches. They are most attractive without any decoration. Some-
times enormous ugly stenciled designs make them unfit for use.
Stripes and plaids are usually satisfactory. For examples see pages
26, 173, 226, 239, and 279.

Fiber rugs are made from spruce-wood paper twists or yarns
woven in the basket, twill, or Jacquard weave. They are durable
when dry but disintegrate when wet.

Wool and fiber rugs are woven on cotton warp with alternate
stands of wool and fiber. The wool adds an interesting color
element and also pleasing softness.

Grass rugs are woven in the simplest over-and-under weave from
continuous undyed grass strands procured only in the marshes of
Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Canada.

Sisal rugs are made from a tough, heavy fiber obtained from the
leaves of a plant grown in the West Indies, Yucatan, and Central
America. Some strands are dyed. Rush squares about 1 foot in
size, fastened together, make good-looking, durable rugs. Chinese
sea grass rugs and Hawaiian mats made of wide fibers are excellent.

Linen rugs are medium in cost, wear very well, look well, and
come in a large variety of plain or mixed colors. They are useful
in dining rooms, sun rooms, porches, and halls.

Rag rugs of the manufactured variety are usually made of cotton
rags, iri fairly light colors. They are washable and durable but
light in weight. See page 241.

Thread and thrum carpets are made of a thick cotton warp and
a thin wool weft, and resemble tapestry weaves.