More Photos of Patan

The weavers wrap a long row of yarn around the pole then cut the knots somehow.
When the rugs come off the loom they are washed and laid out in the sun to dry. There are many small factories in Boudha where i used to stay and I would see the rugs all over town drying on roofs. Then the rugs are clipped and trimmed and occasionally a design emphasized with cuts.

I try to buy a rug on every trip to Nepal now. They are just gorgeous and should wear for a long time. I prefer 100 and 150 knot rugs...the designs are more intricate and they fold up nicely in my suitcase. A three by six rug weighs about 9 pounds or so.
While its fun to watch the weavers in the Refugee Factory I prefer to buy my rugs up the street from other Tibetan Rug dealers. These rugs are made elsewhere in the Valley. The lighting wasn't very good for this one but you can see rugs hanging outside of shops.

After a purchase the shop owner pack the rug tightly for my suitcase.
Wasn't she just beautiful! She is wearing a typical Tibetan outfit although her apron was darker than some.
After the rug area we stopped at Patan's Durbar Square. The temple area. The view here is of the Patan Palace (now art gallery) taken from the Third World Restaurant. There were beautiful carvings under the eaves of the Jagannarayan Temple next door.