Tufting

Tufting is a type of textile manufacturing in which a thread is inserted on a primary base. It is an ancient technique for making warm garments, especially mittens. After the knitting is done, short U-shaped loops of extra yarn are introduced through the fabric from the outside so that their ends point inwards (e.g., towards the hand inside the mitten).

Usually, the tuft yarns form a regular array of "dots" on the outside, sometimes in a contrasting color (e.g., white on red). On the inside, the tuft yarns may be tied for security, although they need not be. The ends of the tuft yarns are then frayed, so that they will subsequently felt, creating a dense, insulating layer within the knitted garment.

Tufting was first developed by carpet manufacturers in Dalton, Georgia.^[1] A tufted piece is completed in three steps: tufting, gluing, then backing and finishing. When tufting, the work is completed from the backside of the finished piece. A loop-pile machine sends yarn through the primary backing and leaves the loops uncut. A cut-pile machine produces plush or shaggy carpet by cutting the yarn as it comes through to the front of the piece.^[1] Tufted rugs can be made with coloured yarn to create a design, or plain yarn can be tufted and then dyed in a separate process.^[1]

A tufting gun is a tool commonly used to automate the tufting process, more specifically in the realm of rug making. The yarn is fed through a hollow needle, that penetrates the stretched cloth backing for a modifiable length.^[2]

They can usually create two types of rugs, a cut or loop pile. A cut pile rug's yarn is snipped every other loop into the backing, creating a “U” shape from the side profile, while a loop pile rug isn't snipped and creates a continuous “M” or “W”.^[3] Tufting guns are useful tools for both mass production and home use due to its flexibility in scale and color variation.