About Carpets:

A carpet is any loom-woven, felted textile or grass floor covering. The term was also used for table and wall coverings, as carpets were not commonly used on the floor in European interiors until the 18th century. The term "carpet" derives from Armenian "karpet" (կարպետ), "kar" meaning a "knot" or "stitch"[1]. Oftentimes, the term "carpet" is used interchangeably with the term "rug". The hand-knotted pile carpet probably originated in Caucasus between the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC. Cilician Armenia which had intensive trade relations with Venice, brought carpets to all of Europe, where they were primarily hung

Carpet types

Woven

The carpet is produced on a loom similar to woven cloth and is usually a cut pile although looped pile carpets of woven construction are not unheard of.[citation needed] Normally many colored yarns are used and this process is capable of producing intricate patterns from pre-determined designs( although some limitations apply to certain weaving methods with regard to accuracy of pattern within the carpet). These carpets are normally the most expensive due to cost of operation of the weaving loom, speed of manufacturing process and limited appeal of patterned carpets as floor coverings causing them to become more of a niche product.

Needlefelt

These carpets are more technologically advanced. Needle felts are produced by electrostatic attraction of individual synthetic fibers forming an extremely durable carpet. These carpets are normally found in the contract market such as hotels etc. where there is a lot of traffic.

Knotted

On a knotted pile carpet (formally, a supplementary weft cut-loop pile carpet), the structural weft threads alternate with a supplementary weft that rises at right angles to the surface of the weave. This supplementary weft is attached to the warp by one of three knot types (see below), such as shag which was popular in the 1970s, to form the pile or nap of the carpet. Knotting by hand is most prevalent in Oriental rugs and carpets.

Tufted

These are carpets that have their pile injected into a backing material, which is itself then bonded to a secondary backing copmprising a woven hessian weave or a man made alternative to provide stability. This is the most common method of manufacturing of domestic carpets for floorcovering purposes in the world.

Others

A flatweave carpet is created by interlocking warp (vertical) and weft (horizontal) threads. Types of oriental flatwoven carpet include kilim, soumak, plain weave, and tapestry weave. Types of European flatwoven carpets include Venetian, Dutch, damask, list, haircloth, and ingrain (aka double cloth, two-ply, triple cloth, or three-ply).

A hooked rug is a simple type of rug handmade by pulling strips of cloth such as wool or cotton through the meshes of a sturdy fabric such as burlap. This type of rug is now generally made as a handicraft.

Embroidery

Unlike woven carpets, embroidery carpets are not formed on a loom. Their pattern is established by the application of stitches to a cloth (often linen) base. The tent stitch and the cross stitch are two of the most common. Embroidered carpets were traditionally made by royal and aristocratic women in the home, but there has been some commercial manufacture since steel needles were introduced (earlier needles were made of bone) and linen weaving improved in the 16th century. Mary Stewart Queen of Scots is known to have been an avid embroiderer. 16th century designs usually involve scrolling vines and regional flowers (for example, the Bradford carpet). They often incorporate animal heraldry and the coat of arms of the maker. Production continued through the 19th century. Victorian embroidered carpet compositions include highly illusionistic, 3-dimensional flowers. Patterns for tiled carpets made of a number of squares, called Berlin wool work, were introduced in Germany in 1804, and became extremely popular in England in the 1830s. Embroidered carpets can also include other features such as a pattern of shapes, or they can even tell a story.