Jute is a strong natural fiber made from plants of the genus Corchorus. It's the same material used to make burlap cloth. The plant is native to India, and production is centered in Bangladesh, which produces the finest jute in the world. It is second only to cotton in production and uses. However, unlike cotton, jute does not require heavy pesticides or fertilizing. It also flourishes nicely on natural rainfall.

The uses are myriad. It is used for clothing, furniture, ropes and twines, rugs, mats, even paper and imitation silk. It is completely sustainable, growing in only 4-6 months. The inner core of the plant can even replace most of the world's wood needs, greatly reducing reliability on rainforests for wood. It is by far the most

Your rug can be placed indoors or outdoors, and makes a lovely porch accent. Remember that this is a natural fiber. Exposure to strong sun or weather will reduce lifespan. Simply hose off for cleaning, reshape, and allow to air dry. Do not hang. Take care of it and you will have a beautiful and unique rug for a very long time. Do not machine wash or dry.

If your new rug is destined for a smooth floor in a traffic area, you may wish to place a nonskid pad under it. This is a natural fiber, and it will move around.

Absolutely. Whenever possible, I will reuse shipping materials to reduce the impact of waste in the environment and to keep it out of the landfill. Your item will always be wrapped with something new (that you can reuse), but I will reuse peanuts, bubble wrap, mailers, boxes, and anything else I can, as long as it's clean, of course.

We are a non-smoking household, but we do enjoy incense. It's possible you may notice a scent. Rest assured it is a wholesome one. (The jute has a scent all its own that will fade in time.) Also, we are cat people. I don't let them near my rugs, but a stray hair is a distinct possibility. No extra charge for these. :-D

This rug was hand crocheted from natural, 3 ply jute fiber. There is no factory, no collective, no employees. Just me, my couch, a crochet hook, and a big spool of jute twine in my little Florida house. Creation alone can take as long as two weeks with some of my larger rugs. Most average around a week.

After the initial work is done, the rug looks like something the cat dragged in. So I take it outdoors to a large table, where I wet it through and begin pulling and pressing it into shape. Then, with the help of Mother Nature and a big fan, it takes from 3-6 days to dry completely, and will hold its finished shape. Then its carefully rolled or folded, boxed, and goes on a shelf to wait for you to discover it and give it a forever home.