CARPETS: Kashmiri carpets are world renowned for two things--they are handmade and they are always knotted, never tufted. It is enlightening to watch a carpet being made. Stretched tightly on a frame is the warp of a carpet. The 'Talim' or design and color specifications are worked out after the weft threads are passed through. A strand of yarn is looped through the warp and weft, knotted and then cut. The yarn usually used is silk, wool or 'silk-and-wool.' Woolen carpets always have a cotton base. The exquisite blend of colors makes the Kashmir Carpet a prized possession. Silk carpets usually have a cotton base. Sometimes however, the base is also silk, in which case you will see that the fringes are also silken. The cost varies according to knottage and the percentage of silk used. The knotting of the carpet is the most important aspect, determining its durability and value, in addition to its design. Basically, the more knots per square inch, the greater its value and durability. Also, there are single and double knotted carpets. You can easily identify one from the other on the reverse of the carpet. You can also determine this by the pile--a double knotted carpet has a pile that bends when you brush it one way, and stands upright when it is brushed in the other direction. A single knotted carpet is fluffier and more resistant to touch.