Yarn Ply

To assess yarn ply, inspect either the face of your rug, or the reverse side.  Mostly, it is easier to verify ply from the reverse side of the rug.  Look for a slight “braided” or wrapped look in the knot. Single ply will have the wool simply wrapped once.  Two ply will have two parallel or twisted strands.  With three + ply, you will see three + individual strands all wrapped together or running parallel to each other.

Find several areas of your rug where you can identify single knots. Look at each knot carefully; you may need a magnifying glass. Often 3 or greater ply is wrapped in such a way that it may be hiding behind itself.  To more carefully assess, you can try removing a single knot with a large sewing needle.  Be sure to do this in an area of the rug where several of the same colored knots surround the one to be pulled out. For accuracy, look at many of the knots to verify ply as there may be areas of more or less.  In unique cases, you may find different colors may have different ply - take the average ply of all colors, or state the rug as "Maybe 1 or 2 Ply" or "Maybe 2 or 3 Ply."  For purposes of the Rug Estimator Pro, the average ply is the way to go.  

For additional information or one on one assistance please refer to our Rug Forum.

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