Guest Author - Iris ten Holder



All rugs are made with the help of a tool, such as a crochet hook, knitting needles, a toothbrush needle, a frame, a loom, and so one.

Consider your preference. Perhaps you are already a knitter or familiar with crochet, although you may not have access to a loom. On the other hand, it you are anxious to use some new tools, there is plenty opportunity to do so. Who has used a toothbrush needle, a priitive rug hook, or even knew these existed?

Exploiring new methods can also be fun and intriguing. Each method brings with it some history and with more and more information available on the internet, you may love to find out more about your particular type of rug.

With different tools, we choose from the whole range of rugmaking. Here again, how to make a choice. What is it that appeals to you?

The choice between yarn and fabric strips is a basic one, and will also play a role in the choice of tools.

Hooked rugs can be made from yarn or from fabric strips. Making a hooked rug from yarn requires canvas, a latch hook and short lengths of wool or other yarn. These rugs have a pile finish. There is quite a variety of preprinted canvases available, which enable a beginner to make a rug before feeling the need to design one. This will come once the technique has been mastered. Each rug has its design limitatioins or protocol. It is good to follow the innate characteristics of the tyuoe of rugmaking and design with this in mind, mostly choosing the simple over the ornate. Intricate, ornate designs are best left to those who have abundant experience and have studied the subject thoroughly.

Rugs with yarn can also be made with a needle and longer lengths of yarn. Usually the loops that are formed are cut to reveal the ends of the yarn and provide the warm \glow of the pile. The loops can also be left uncut for an entirely different look.

Rugs made from knitting or crochet have a look all their own. In this case yarn is pretty well the only option, although one could attempt to do this with thin fabric strips. The stitch must provides the body adn must be robust; therefore heavy yarn and thick needles are needed. This helps the work move along quickly, and that may certainly be appealing.
For knitted rugs, there is just one stitch, the basic knitting stitch. This stitch provides a thick ribbed finish.

Crochet, requires a large hook and stitches that are close together, providing a dense surface. Crochet lends itself well to the shaggy rug appearance; a bit of experience is in order here.

As far as tools is concerned, the braided rug is the simplest. Braiding provides the body required for a rug . No tools are needed, except the use of a needle and thread for assembly.

For rugs made of fabric strips, including the braided rug, here is a preparation stage. Fabric yardage needs to be cut in strips. This can be done by hand cutting the strips with scissors, or by tearing.

The tool that might come in handy here is a cloth slitter, which will speed up this task. Some are simple, others more sophisticated. All require that fabric be fed into the slitter, which then produces fabric strips of equal width.

If it is your choice to make a rag rug, there are several options. Rag rugs (made with fabric strips) can be hooked, braided or woven, or even knotted. The result of course is very different. The methods range from simple to complex.

The toothbrush rug may well be the simplest method, while the hooked rug can be quite complex. Small woven rugs can be made on a simple handmade frame, while large looms are extremely sophisticated and can produce rugs up to 10 ft wide.

By listing some of the characteristics of the various textures and materials hope to have given you an insight into the possiblities.

It is up to you to make the choice, or read more.....