NeedleWork Monday - Traditional Rug Hooking

So traditional rug hooking is a bit different than punch needle...

First, the tool is more like a crochet hook.

The medium can be yarn, but it is usually thin strips of wool...and traditional style is hooked from the front.

The backing fabrics used are the same...though there are choices.

For the punch needle the backing was Monks Cloth, which is a fairly sturdy double weave cloth that held the yarn nicely. Though this piece is on a burlap style which has a more open weave. If you look you can see through it pretty well. I find it stretches more and does not feel so solid...not my favorite so far, but I think the strips of wool will firm it up.

I like that the surface is smoother, which would be good for walking on, vacuuming etc...but then the detail is cut down in designing, and I feel more like I am playing tetras because the direction of the loops matters.

I do like both the yarn and the wool strips in the end, so will work with both I am sure. :)

The next rug I make will be a 5 foot circle I am designing, with an english ivy border, and a fairy scene in the center. This will be on a third type of backing called Rug Warp, which is a much heavier and quite solid fabric. It really doesn't stretch much which I prefer. And I will be hooking it with yarn, because I will need the detail, and also because a good fabric stripper runs between 300 - 600.00 USD, and about 150.00 for each additional sized blade....not quite in my budget right now, and it would be far too much to cut by hand.

So far I am having a blast learning, and am excited for the next before I finish the current rug, with designs and ideas running through my mind :) I think it is safe to say rug hooking will stick with me, and is worth investing some into for tools and materials!

Thanks for reading! This is a Steemit original, all words and photos by Elew...

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